


Escape (old)

by Dreamer372, JusticeDragon



Series: Church [1]
Category: Church-Original Animatic
Genre: I'm going to nickname him Angel ironically, Other, Sanga and Ashivon are adorable, based on toastyhat's animatic Church, it's so pure, not my animatic, ok i'll stop, someone please name the small child, they're so small and adorable
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-11-26
Packaged: 2020-02-10 18:51:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 52,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18666295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamer372/pseuds/Dreamer372, https://archiveofourown.org/users/JusticeDragon/pseuds/JusticeDragon
Summary: This is based on Toastyhat's animatic 'Church'. This occurs after they escape the church/temple grounds or whatever. I don't know the canon, this is all fanon. Also, Ashivon knows limited 'Common language' or English or whatever.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Original Animatic | Church](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/477964) by EmptyFeet. 



> So, yeah, this is the first chapter. I don't know how much I have planned, but people on the video's comments told me to make a FF, so I did.

Ashivon panted as he dragged Sanga behind him. They leaped through what had previously been a stained glass window, broken glass crinkling under their feet. A few slivers embedded themselves in his feet, but he could care less. Shouts came from behind them, but he never learned much of the words. He did know one of the words they were shouting.

'Kill'.

That word he knew well.

Sanga pulled him to the side and he followed her. She knew this cursed place more than he did. Besides, if they went to the front gate, there would probably be more guards there, so that wasn't an option. She pulled him and the kit into a small garden and through a hedge. The leaves pulled at his fur, dug into the wounds more, made the kit cry out in alarm. Ashivon gently nuzzled his hair, shushing him into silence. It worked like a charm and the child fell silent again.

When they emerged from the hedge, they stood before a cracked portion of wall. Sanga let go of his hand- making him whine weakly in his throat- to pull at loose stones. With one strategic pull, it fell before them. Ashivon's eyes widened at the expanse before them. Where there had been city on one side, this was more of a forest. It would make sense, nature was a part of this city from what little he had seen from his cell and the citizens needed inspiration, right?

Sanga panted, looking over her shoulder to see torch lights through the hedges and shouts ringing in her ears. She grabbed Ashivon's hand again and pulled him through the hole. She didn't know this wood very well, other than it grew thicker and thicker the deeper you went and there had been an urban legend when she was a child about people going in and never coming out because they had strayed from the Goddess's guiding hand and she smite them because of it. 

Well, where was that Goddess now, as Sanga led the two demons into the woods and away from the cult that had controlled their lives for oh so long. 

* * *

After nearly an hour of a hazy mix of running, tripping, and jogging, Sanga's body forced her to stop. She fell against a tree and slowly slide down. Coughs burst from her chest as she tried to draw breath. Ashivon stopped next to her, just outside arm's reach, but still near. The child had fallen asleep about fifteen minutes ago, but the change in pace had him waking again. 

Ashivon crooned quietly, looking at her in worry. She threw her head back against the tree, still panting, and offered him a sweaty smile, "I'm fine. How's the little guy?"

He cocked his head in confusion and she slumped, "Oh, right. You... don't know much Common, do you?" This got a similar reaction and she managed to bark out a small laugh. Ashivon jumped at the noise, almost dropping the kit. The child squawked in alarm, flailing.

He crawled out of Ashivon's arms and looked around. It was completely dark, he wasn't home, where were his mom and dad? There was a fellow demon here, as well as some tailless woman-creature near him. He didn't know much, but he did know that they fought to get away from the people who dragged him from home, even if he had been more curious than anything. The demon had awoken him, and the woman-creature seemed non-threatening, so he crawled more towards her. 

Sanga smiled as the child edged closer and held her arms out, "Don't worry, kid, you'll be safe here." She didn't know if he actually understood or he just trusted her, but he came to curl on her lap. Her arms folded around him, holding him close against the crisp night air. He purred quietly, putting his ear over her heart. It was beating quickly, probably from the run, but it was still soothing. A hand buried itself in his fur and his purr grew louder. "You're a little angel, aren't you?" Her eyes began to drift shut at the sound of the purrs, but a small rustle next to her had her looking over sharply. 

Ashivon was curling up in a ball a few feet away. His eyes were boring into hers, but it wasn't threatening. She sighed and relaxed again, staring back. This wasn't some wild animal. This was Ashivon, her friend of a few years now. They had little true interaction, always from a distance, but there was definitely trust there. She knew that because of his upbringing, he would be jittery around humans, even her. Despite understanding these facts, it broke her heart that he wasn't closer, but she wasn't going to push him. 

Her eyes drifted closed and she let sleep claim her. Ashivon would keep her safe.

* * *

She awoke to rustling and her eyes shot open. Her arms tightened around the small figure still resting on her, but they quickly loosened when she saw how it was. Ashivon was staring like a deer in lantern-light, holding a pheasant in his mouth and a rabbit in each hand. He dropped the bird in his mouth to her feet, waiting anxiously. She blinked, slowly connecting the pieces. Her neighbor used to have a cat and explained this very clearly for her. A cat would bring dead, occasionally not, things to their 'owner', thinking they couldn't fend for themselves. Granted, in this case, she probably couldn't.

Smiling and gently nudging the kid awake, she sat forward. The kit whined and gripped her harder, accidentally scratching her. She hissed at the slight sting, not really hurt, but Ashivon was having none of it. He growled and the child let go of her quickly. Sanga frowned, "Hey, it wasn't anything too bad, it was an accident." She scoot forward and ruffled the kid's hair gently. He smiled, reaching for a rabbit. Sanga cursed her luck over the fact she didn't have materials to light a fire. But the Divine wasn't anything if it wasn't thorough. She stood and began to wander around, looking for the materials and came back with a small amount of sticks, a small number of dry leaves, and anything else she thought was useful. 

She returned and began to set it up, much to the confusion of Ashivon and the child. They were digging into their rabbits without a care, watching her carefully. Ashivon sat on his haunches, looking ready to run at any moment. What Sanga didn't know was that he was ready to run in case she got hurt. 

With a little luck, Sanga got the fire going and looked at her pheasant. She just had to defeather and gut it... Shoot. She sighed and began to pull at the bird's feathers, wincing at the sounds. The child gurgled, looking uncomfortable. Ashivon snorted, wrinkling his nose. Sanga looked up and raised an eyebrow, "Hey, I can't eat this raw. I have to cook it." She continued and managed to get most of it pretty quickly. She snapped the wings off with some difficulty and the help of a half-broken stick. She set it up in the fire and waited. 

During this time, the child returned to her side, clinging to her sadly. She pet his hair back and looked to Ashivon. The look on his face matched hers and they knew, even if they couldn't understand each other perfectly, they would take care of this child. The woman held her hand out to Ashivon, waiting. 

He stiffened, looking from her hand to her face and back, looking for some kind of deception. She smiled encouragingly and his hand reached out. His claws skimmed her fingertips and he drew his hand back. He crooned pitifully and she smiled, "Hey, it's fine, ok? One step at a time." The bird needed turning and she did, grinning at the color on the bird- it was a good fat one. Sanga looked back up and let her smile try to show her appreciation and wondered if her still knew a little bit of Common.

"Thank you, Ashivon. For the food," She tried.

His eyebrows shot up and a smile spread across his face, "W-Welcome?"

"That's right!" She praised and he purred quietly. The child made a sound similar to a laugh and Ashivon deflated. Sanga frowned and tapped the child on the shoulder, "Hey, at least he knows something... But then again, you can't understand me either..." Ashivon cocked his head at the words, trying to make sense of them, but shrugged it off. 

With a final glance over, Sanga finally decided that her pheasant was ready and took it off and began to dig in. She was right, this was a great bird. She continued to eat happily, not really noticing Ashivon looking proud of the fact.

* * *

After putting out the fire and scattering the ashes and half-burnt twigs, they looked over their injuries. Ashivon was by far the worst, but Sanga's chest wound was nothing to scoff at. She tried to channel the Goddess, even though she knew without the sign, it was useless. Ashivon noticed her frustration and kneeled in front of her. She paused at the proximity, unsure of what to think. He was hesitant to touch, he knew that it was the embrace that got them into this mess in the first place, but it just felt so... nice. He had an internal battle, not noticing his tail had reached around him and wrapped around her wrist. 

The small tuff of fur at the end tickled her and she laughed quietly, running her finger over it. Ashivon jumped at the sudden sensation, but he didn't move away. He purred quietly, "Nice..."

"Yeah. Ashivon, we need to get you cleaned up," Sanga said, breaking out of the trance. Suddenly, he was tense once again. He knew the words 'cleaned up'. It always meant cold water and trying not to breath in water and- he shivered, just thinking about it. His friend reached out a hand, not touching him, but still remained close, "I won't hurt you."

He paused one more time and slowly put his hand in hers, "Ok."

 

 

 


	2. Down by the River

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the trio continues on, they manage to find a river to wash up at. Ashivon sees his reflection properly for the first time in years.

Sanga plodded after Ashivon slowly, holding the child's hand. The older demon was picking out a path, pulling back offending branches as the two passed. Birdsong floated around them and the child's head constantly swiveled, trying to find the sources of the sounds. Sanga began the slow process of teaching him Common, and Ashivon chipped in when he could. Sanga wondered if demons had their own language, but they were either quiet or... maybe they spoke like cats? Her eyes caught sight of Ashivon's tail and she chuckled quietly at the thought. The thought wasn't that far off. He looked over his shoulder at the sound, smiling when he saw the mirth swimming in his friend's eyes.

A trickling sound caught his ear and they flicked to attention. Ashivon looked over sharply and grinned. He reached out for Sanga but paused. What if she thought he was attacking, or if she hurt him for- He shook his head, shaking the thoughts away. Sanga was good. She was kind. She wouldn't hurt him- A warm hand entered his still outstretched one gently, "Ashivon?" He crooned quietly and began pulling her and the kit in the direction of the water. "Ash?"

He hummed, "W-Water?" Sanga's hand squeezed his gently and she smiled.

"That's great, Ashivon," She muttered. Ashivon purred at the praise and continued on. The walk was short, about five minutes and the water greeted them with glittering winks.

The child perked up and darted over, chirping happily. He jumped into the river but squawked as his feet sunk in further than he thought. He scrambled out again, heading for Sanga. She and Ashivon chuckled at the sight but welcomed him back with soothing touches. He purred, leaning into the motion before he decided to do it again. Sanga and Ashivon walked over, keeping an eye out for anything in the water that wasn't supposed to be there.

They might not have been a very snake-rich country, but they did occasionally make their way into the Sanctuary. Ashivon learned a very painful lesson about poisonous snakes before Sanga had found out about it. It was one of the few times she had ever seen him even resembling being sick, but it was still scary.

Regardless, if there had been any snakes, the kit's splashing scared them away. Sanga reached out, making sure Ashivon could see her. He watched her put her hand on his shoulder and slowly push him down. He sat next to the river bed nervously. Would this be like the other cleanings he's had? Sanga wandered over to the creekbed and submerged her hands, cupping water in them carefully.

She walked back and took a deep breathe, "Sorry if this hurts, Ashivon." He whined quietly and she hesitantly poured water down his back. Ashivon tensed and growled, but Sanga waited, "Hey, are you ok?" She removed her waistband and turned it inside out. She didn't want to ruin the rest of her clothes by ripping them and it could always get washed. "Ashivon, I need to clean your back. Yes or no?"

Gritting his teeth, he knew he didn't have any options. He had seen a few infected wounds on the humans before and they didn't always live long after. "Yes." Sanga sighed in relief, "Thank you." She gently began to wipe at the dried blood and returned to the creek when she had to. She tried to be gentle, but a part of her mind still bawked when he growled or snarled, or _threatened to rip her head off-_

No. Those were lies told by the Divine. Ashivon wouldn't hurt her. If he wanted to, she was only feet away and asleep a few hours ago and would have hurt her then.

She sucked in a breath and continued to work. The wounds had mostly been seared shut, but they'd have to keep an eye out for any infection. They would probably heal within a month, if all went well. Sanga took a step back and walked back to the water. She scrubbed at the waistband, trying to get out as much of Ashivon's blood as she could. The woman did not want to risk getting any of it in her wound if it reopened while cleaning. Sitting back, she raised the cloth to her wound and began to wash the blood away. The mark had been cleanly slashed through and when it was clean, the true impact of it all hit her. 

She betrayed the Divinity, cast away her Goddess, her brothers and sisters, her _home_ \- Her powers were gone. She could still fight, but without her abilities, she couldn't use her pole-staff, or heal, _Oh Goddess, what if she or Ashivon, or Hell forbid, the child_-

A quiet chirp broke her out of her thoughts and Sanga gasped, backing away. The kit reeled away at the sudden motion, almost falling back in the water. He cried out, clearly worried. Ashivon's head snapped over to her and kneeled next to her. His hand reached out, but he pulled it back again. "S-Sanga, ok?"

She panted and let herself flop onto her back, "Y-Yeah, I'm ok." He whined, clearly not believing her, but still too nervous to try and comfort her. The child, on the other hand, had fewer reservations. 

He snuck over, kneeling next to her. His head peeked over into her gaze and she smiled, "Hello there, little angel." Her hand moved and ruffled his hair. He purred and rested on her side, being mindful of her wound. Sanga sighed and closed her eyes. This was nice, her heart felt lighter than it ever did at-

Ashivon snarled without warning and reached for her. The kit was up in a second, looking scared. But... he didn't seem scared of Ashivon, but something past him. Ashivon roared again and pulled Sanga to her feet. He picked up the child and began to drag Sanga behind him. A few sounds behind them caught their attention and Sanga's eyes widened. 

Dogs

The Divinity were hunting them like prey. She stopped dragging her feet so much and began to run. "Curse the Divine," Sanga growled. She knew that the dogs were some of the best in the parish, but even then, they weren't always the best. The problem was when it was fit people being tracked. The general populous was weak and couldn't outlast a pack of tracking dogs and the Divine.

A glint entered her eyes as she pushed on faster. They evidently didn't know who they were messing with.

Ashivon wholeheartedly agreed. They had spent the last decade at least turning him into a killer. The irony of it all when he would be able to kill them.


	3. Hunted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When push comes to shove, facing a power couple looking after a scared child is not a foe you wish to face. They will serve your head on a silver platter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, there's some violence and death in this chapter, so if that kind of thing makes you queasy... actually, in the animatic, there's violence and death, so never mind. Don't worry.

The sound of dogs followed them, but Sanga knew they couldn't outrun them forever. They had likely only covered about 8 miles since their escape and the Divine had dogs and horses. If she knew anything about them, they'd probably send an elite team while the mass of the warrior-monks would stay back to keep the local population down. But if only the three could make it to the next parish over, they'd probably be safe. Whereas the Divine controlled a pocket of land, it was still large, but not too big that they could lose control it. There were varying other parishes that would have warred upon them, but the Divine was as much a military as it was a religious order. But Sanga knew that any of the others would take them in, just to spite the Divine.

But first, they'd have to lose their followers. 

The dogs were getting closer and the kit was whimpering openly. Ashivon was doing his best to keep the child calm, but he was getting scared himself. Sanga knew he was more terrified than he let on. Capture meant death for him, for her, for the kit. 

The creek continued on and began to widen, widen, widen, until it emptied into a lake. She sent a prayer to the Goddess and continued on, looking for a good log, a large branch, a fallen tree trunk, anything. The Goddess must have heard her prayers as she spotted a large log lapping against the shore. She pointed to it and began pushing Ashivon to it. He stared in worry before he began to catch on. He put down the kit and helped her push it out into the water. 

Ashivon motioned the kid over and put him on the log before turning to Sanga. He was nervous, but so was she. She smiled reassuringly and they clung to the log, kicking out. They managed to get almost half a mile away from the shore before they finally saw the dogs. They barked and ran back and forth along the shore, but when they did try to get in the water, it became too deep for them and instinct pushed them back to shore.

Sanga sighed in relief and looked at the kit and Ashivon. The child was terrified, looking at the water nervously, but he gripped the log tightly. Ashivon was the same, his arms tense as he tried not to succumb to his fear of the water. Memories of a 'bath' floated to him, where the Divine had pushed his head under, almost drowning him several times. 

He smiled weakly at her and let his head fall. "Thank you, Sanga." 

The woman hummed happily, but it was cut short by shouts. The adults' heads whirled around to see four members of the Divinity arrive at the shore. Their horses paced back and forth before one tried to lead his horse out. The child whined, but Sanga smiled, "Don't worry, angel. They won't make it far."

True to her word, the rider began to shout and his horse bellowed before turning back. Ashivon relaxed again and turned back to her. He looked to the other side of the lake and she nodded. They worked to cross the medium lake and they could only hope they would make it before the riders made it. They pushed on and made it to the other side fairly quickly, the riders nowhere in sight. They breathed a sigh of relief before getting onshore. The child crooned quietly as he climbed off the log. Ashivon chirped quickly and Sanga raised an eyebrow in confusion.

The sound of a stick breaking caught her attention, but before she could turn, Ashivon pushed her down. His fangs were bared and his claws swung out, cutting through the dog's muzzle. It yelped and darted back. It growled pitifully and the other tracking dogs appeared, staying on the outskirts. Ashivon crouched and snarled at them loudly. The sound reverberated through the air tensely and the hairs on the back of Sanga's neck stood up. Her instincts screamed at her, ' _Get away, get away, getaway, getawaygetawaygetaway-_ '

' _Stop it, this is Ashivon. He will not hurt you_ ,' She berated herself. She let herself fall into a fighting stance as the dogs disappeared. All that was left were the horsemen and they were the ones she was worried about.

The rhymic thumps of horses drew closer in Ashivon's ears and his ears pinned back in fear. He couldn't go back, there was no way he'd get out alive. 

Shouts came from in front of them and the horses finally arrived. Before they came to a full stop, the first three horsemen were sliding off and their forearms glowed. Sanga wasted no time in charging and tried to deliver a roundhouse kick, but the member pushed her foot away. It almost unbalanced her, but her days in training forbid her from falling. She just had to keep him distracted until Ashivon could help. If he could help.

He was, after all, dealing with two other members. He had taken a hint from Sanga and charged the two before they could summon their weapons. He targeted the one on the right, furthest away from Sanga. The man backed up in alarm, but he underestimated how far a scared Ashivon could leap. His throat was clawed open before he could guard his neck. A white whip came lashing into his view and he cried out as it cut into his still-fresh wounds. 

Sanga heard the cry and growled quietly. Her mind screamed at her not to, but she turned around and delivered a swift punch to the base of his head. The man slumped as his skull and spine disconnected. He couldn't move and never would again. 

Ashivon crumbled as he felt the burns hiss in the open air. His mind was running at a million miles an hour, but at the same time, his mind was blank in relief. The only thing that broke through his mind was Sanga's shriek. He looked up sharply and his teeth instantly bared. 

_That. **Dead**. Man. Just. Hurt. **Sanga**. _

He rose and stalked over to the Divine. Sanga was off to the side, holding her face. Ashivon spared her a glance, but he continued to the pole-staff-wielding Divine. The priest was getting ready for Ashivon's attack, but he forgot about Sanga. Her foot kicked out and landed in the back of his knee. The Divine cried out and Ashivon pounced. His claws slashed across his face, shredding his eyes. The Divine screamed and Ashivon swiped at his throat. 

Turning around, Ashivon kneeled next to Sanga. She stared at him, at his bloody hand, at his claws, as they neared her face. He looked at the damage and crooned gently. Sanga let her eyes drift closed. She was safe. Ashivon was safe. The child was sa-

Her head shot up as she looked for the child. _Where where where-_ A small white hand peeked out from behind a tree, followed by a small head. The kit looked over the bodies and whined loudly. Sanga sighed and shared a look with Ashivon. His eyes shone in relief and he drew back slowly. He held out his hand to help his friend up. Sanga reached for his hand and smiled.

The moment she was on her feet, a deep chuckle echoed around the small glade. Sanga looked around in panic, realizing something she should have noticed ages ago. There were four Divine earlier. There were three dead bodies. Where was-

"Sanga, Sanga, Sanga, after bringing you into the Goddess's light, you betray her holiness like this? By becoming one with a demon?" The final man grumbled out. His shiny white horse glimmered in the light as his face was revealed. Four stark lines cross the left side of his face, framing a hazy blue pupil. It had been caused by the last executioner, being the reason that demon was put down, a story he was more than fond of sharing with new recruits. This was the Leader of the Light, the man who brought more into the Goddess's _caring_  arms.

She sneered, "You preach in the Goddess's name, but how would she support the Divinity's actions?"

The Leader of the Light grinned, showing off his pristine teeth, "Oh Sanga, she's the one who gave us these powers. Wouldn't you know?"

"It was your Divine who took my abilities away. Now, if you give me the power back, maybe we could find out who the Goddess would truly support," Sanga growled. Ashivon placed his hand on the back of her arm in worry and slight fear.

He knew this man. This man would pace outside his cell, telling him things he couldn't understand, but he understood the tone and understood the holy polearm that would jab at him from behind the bars. This man was one of the reasons he was so quick on his feet.

The Leader of the Light laughed deeply, holding his stomach, "Oh, Sanga, you know I can't do that. The Goddess told us to remove your abilities, but we have yet to remove the other thing she asked for."

Sanga gulped. She knew what it was, but she needed confirmation. She needed to hear it, as if it would make all of this real. "What did the Goddess demand?"

"Your life-"

His eyes widened as his body stilled. He choked on air and grasped at his throat. His hands met a single arrow, shiny with blood and some other substance. Slowly, so slowly, Sanga and Ashivon could have sworn time stopped. When the Leader of the Light slipped off the newly bloodstained horse, it revealed the archer. They wore a dark green cloak and a black full-face mask with the Goddess's symbol on the forehead in red paint.

The masked figure slowly lowered their crossbow and nodded to them, "The Goddess's true light be with you." With a dramatic swoosh of the cloak, they were gone.

Sanga fell to her knees. She had always heard of the various rebellion groups, but to finally encounter a member of such a group was startling. 

Ashivon was dealing with his own crisis. He couldn't hear or smell or see them anymore, something that was unknown to him. 

Small hands entered their own and the kit whined loudly. Sanga took a deep breath and held her arms out to him. The kit wasted no time and collapsed into her arms, chirping quietly. She shushed him, petting back his hair, "You're safe, little angel. I promise, you're going to be safe." A pair of stronger, thicker arms surrounded them and Sanga's breath caught in her throat. 

Ashivon nuzzled her head gently, being careful to avoid the blossoming bruise that covered her right cheek. His chest vibrated with purrs. She sighed and slumped into his hold. They were safe, for now.


	4. Moment of Peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanga and Ashivon have some issues that need addressing.

Sanga panted quietly as she ran one hand through the kit's hair. He purred loudly, trying to bury himself into her arms. Her other hand was wrapped around Ashivon's back and gripped a small handful of his finer back fur. He was purring quietly himself as his arms were wrapped around the other two in a protective hug. They were bunched under him, but no one was complaining after the near-capture.

The adults' minds were racing. Who was that person, why did they help, where were they and would they attack, _who, what, why, where where **where**_ \- Ashivon's breathing began to quicken as he couldn't smell the person. He had always relied on his senses. He knew when people were arriving from two hallways down. He could hear their angered panting or terrified hyperventilating. He could smell spilled blood on a person or the somehow holy scent of the Divine (a smell that Sanga no longer carried (he wasn't ready to admit how happy that made him)). He could see individual leaves on trees, the little red beetles crawling all over them-

A hand slowly carded through his hair and fear gripped his heart in his panicked state. He gnashed his teeth and the owner of the hand whimpered in fear. 

Ashivon's eyes widened as he realized where he was, who he just threatened and he whined in regret. He nuzzled Sanga's hair guiltily. His heart broke as she pulled back for a split second before cupping his cheek, but he knew the damage was done. The demon knew that his kind were not shown to be friendly, but terrifying creatures who would no doubt try to hurt the humans at first chance. He knew that Sanga didn't think of him like that, but brain-washing didn't go away easily. But she was trying, or at least acting like it. He pushed his head further into her hand, trying to show her that he wasn't scary, that he wouldn't hurt her. His purring got louder as well.

Sanga shook after Ashivon nearly chomped into her wrist. She knew he wouldn't hurt her, but a small part of her mind, painted by years of Divine propaganda and primal human instinct, screamed at her that this was still a dangerous being. She knew that Ashivon noticed her hesitation and tried to make up for it and it hurt her to see him trying to make up for it. There should be nothing he had to make up for, but his kind had been painted as monsters for so long that... 

His head pushed into her hand more and she smiled. This wasn't a monster so much as a large cat, huh? The woman rubbed her thumb over one of his horns, making his purring grow even louder. He was almost pushing them into the ground at this point and the kit finally had enough of the dramatics. 

He whined loudly, pushing at them. Sanga's hand quickly withdrew and Ashivon whined at the lack of warmth. He removed himself and waited for them to stand. Sanga lifted the kit off of her and pushed herself up, wincing. She looked at the four dead bodies and realized that the horse had bolted during their moment. The woman sighed and ran a hand through her hair. 

Should they try to take care of the bodies, should they search them, should they leave them? The Divine believed in cremation, but not only would the smoke get their attention, but they didn't have the materials to burn them, so they'd have to leave them. Sanga also played around with searching them for possible weapons. She knew the Leader of the Light probably had a blade on him. He was too careful not to, and she couldn't afford not to have some kind of knife on her. 

After a moment of mental prepping, she strode over to the Leader of the Light and began to search his pockets. Just as she thought, he had a long knife, almost a machete on him, as well as a smaller four-inch blade. She put the machete into her waistband and pocketed the small blade. She had no need for any of their clothes.

Ashivon stared after her in worry as she walked over to the body of his former tormentor. When she pulled out a machete and a smaller knife, his heart fell into his stomach. What.. wasn't meant for him, was it? It would no doubt be focused on enemies, but... The thoughts itched at his mind. The kit pushed him a little, reminding him they had to move. Ashivon chirped and Sanga returned. She smiled and held out her hand, "You ok?"

"Yes," He replied, even though it was a lie. He kept his hands to himself and began to lead the party again. He missed Sanga's hurt look.

* * *

They continued to push on throughout the day. They didn't exactly run, but their pace wasn't leisurely either. Sanga continued to point out words and taught the kit and Ashivon 'bird', 'tree', 'climb' and several more words. She forced herself to ramble, trying to get the two used to human speech. They were picking it up quickly, but Sanga was sure it was for different reasons.

She hated to admit it, but she consciously put the kit between her and Ashivon. She hated that she was falling prey to her own instincts, even if her heart spoke true. 'Ashivon won't hurt you.' She knew that, but it would take time.

Around midday, they managed to find a tall apple tree. Sanga stared at it longingly before wandering over to it. She tried to climb it, but her foot slipped. She growled to herself and tried again, but the result was the same. A quiet croon behind her made her turn. Ashivon cocked his head curiously. She sighed and pointed up to a bright yellow apple. It was about four feet out of her arm's reach, two to three if she jumped. 

The demon smiled and leaped up. He snagged it in his claws, but the branch followed him down. He frowned and clawed at the stem. It released after a moment and he proudly turned to Sanga to present it. She grinned and took it carefully, "Thank you, Ashivon." He grinned brightly and purred. 

Behind them, the kit whined and Sanga understood. They had been walking for a good part of the day so far, so he was bound to be hungry. She shared a look with Ashivon, who nodded. He leapt up and retrieved a few more apples, letting Sanga carry them. With a total of seven, she passed them out. Two for her, two for the kit and three for Ashivon. As they sat down to eat, he tried to push one to Sanga, but she shook her head. "You need to heal up. Besides, you're bigger than me or the kid, so eat." She took out the small blade and cut off a small part to eat. If these two were going to model after her, she didn't want their fangs getting stuck or ripped out. 

They seemed to catch on and clawed a small slab off. They munched it nervously, but the kit's tail began swishing back and forth in excitement, digging into it more. The adults laughed a little bit and without thinking, Sanga leaned on Ashivon. They both tensed after realizing what was happening, but Ashivon quickly relaxed. When she noticed he had gone slack, Sanga slumped more into his side. She tried to ignore the fact that his tail curled itself around her waist. 

When the meal was done, Sanga asked Ashivon to grab three more apples and promptly stored them in her shirt, between her underlayer and her overshirt, and held in place by the waist band. Worse came to worse, they'd each have an apple for dinner.

* * *

They experienced no more problems in the ways of the Divine, but there were many small settlements, designed solely for food or other villages. This came as an issue when the Divine rode through, delivering the message of the 'heretic and the freed unholy sons of the God'. She pulled them away from the settlements, knowing the moment they were spotted, they'd be dead. After the second small village, Sanga realized that they'd have more trouble staying on the mere outskirts and would do better in the deeper woods. They ate the apples as they walked.

The sun was beginning to set at this point and the nearest village wasn't for several miles. They settled down for the night and again, the kit latched onto Sanga's side. She pet his hair back, smiling, "Good night, little angel."

"Good night, Sanga," The child responded, nuzzling his face into her ribs. She tried not to giggle. Her eyes lifted as she tried to find Ashivon in the dark. She knew from experience that his eyes would glow in the dark. Her knowledge didn't fail her as she found his eyes staring at her three feet away. He was closer than last night- actually within arm's reach. He hesitated and curled up again, this time at her feet. The way he was, the fur on his back was against her leg and tail faced towards her. 

Sanga understood she might be looking into it too much, but the way he was... it was almost like he was exposing his back to her. He trusted her. She smiled, an expression that grew as his tail moved to wrap around her ankle. She chuckled and for the first time in a long time, the instinct at the back of her mind quieted. 

They were safe with each other and they didn't doubt it for a second.

The kit purred quietly, amused to see them finally calm around each other. He could understand they had been through a lot together, but it only seemed to go so far, as if they never truly spent any time together. This was going to get interesting.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, thank you all for your support! I haven't gotten a story get this much of a reaction so quickly before! And for those who want to know a schedule... I'm technically out of school at the moment, but my family's undergoing a move, so I will try to post at least one chapter a day, even if it's at really weird hours (watch me, posting this at 12:30 am)


	5. Back at it again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where are they?

Sanga woke up first this time. The sun glittered over the trees and warmed her, but pressure on her side and legs kept her down. Her eyes peeked open and as expected, the kit was curled into her side, but she wasn't prepared to see Ashivon sprawled all over her legs his tail was wrapped around her ankle, be she wasn't complaining. They were warm. Her fingers curled into the kit's hair, smiling as he purred in his sleep.

The sound must have awoken Ashivon, because he stretched a bit and lifted his head. Sanga chuckled quietly, feeling peaceful at the moment. His head whirled around and his hair was everywhere. He huffed, narrowing his eyes at her in a mix of shock and early-morning annoyance. "Sorry, Ashivon. Good morning," Sanga whispered.

He hummed again, letting his head fall. "Good morning, Sanga," He slurred. He paused, as if putting together the position, and threw himself back. Sanga let her giggles get louder and the child at her side whined in protest. Sanga smiled and pat his head, "C'mon, little angel, time to get up." He crooned, but pulled himself up. Sanga smiled and got up to stretch, "Alright, we should find out how much longer to the next parish. If we can get out of Divinity's reach, we'll be fine."

The other two cocked their heads, but Ashivon seemed to understand the basics of what she said. He nodded and stood, pulling the kit into his arms. "Town?"

"I'll have to. I want you and..." She paused, thinking over the child. She didn't want to keep calling him 'kid', but she didn't want to assume his name. She mentally shrugged, "Angel, here, to stay out of sight." He frowned, thinking over the command. He knew 'stay', but not the rest. If it was what he even thought it was, he wasn't going to allow it.

"No. You might hurt," He tried, taking a step closer.

She shook her head, "No, we need to know where we are!" Ashivon crooned, but he knew he couldn't fight her. If they didn't know where they were, they might end up back in Divinity's hold. They sighed and began on their way. The trip continued going the way they had started and the two would rather not backtrack to find out. Several small bushes along the way provided breakfast and soon, the kit was skipping ahead, chirping happily. Sanga relaxed, smiling at the boy. 

The Divine weren't... angry... per say, but smiling wasn't encouraged. It gave her time visiting Ashivon all the more special, as it was one of the few times she could. But now, it was different. Her heart felt lighter-

A tickling feeling on the back of her leg made her jump. Ashivon peeked at her from the corner of his eye, but he grinned. Sanga looked behind her to see his tail bobbing behind him and hitting the back of her leg on the other end of each swing. Her eyes narrowed at him, but the smile poorly hidden on her face let Ashivon know she wasn't mad. He continued to do it, but Sanga got used to it.

* * *

The sun was about a fourth of the way into the sky by the time they came across the first village. Sanga didn't see anyone in Divinity clothes, but she couldn't be sure. She removed her weapons, placing them at the base of a tree for later. She unclipped her waistband and moved it to her neck, arranging it so it was more like a scarf. She winced as it touched her still-fresh wound, but it was completely covered. Ashivon and the kit were standing nearby, nervously watching her. Her red overshirt flapped open like a vest, the tan underlayer covering her like a normal shirt. All in all, it looked like something a peasant might wear.

She gave the kit a hug and stared at Ashivon for a moment. He paused as well, realizing that it was time for their goodbyes. If he could, he'd be half-way to sweating bullets. Sanga smiled with a small flush and offered her hand. Ashivon took it and they shook on it. Sanga pulled away and began to wander back into the village. 

It was... jarring, to say the least, to be back with normal people. Even if she hadn't been raised within the Sanctuary's walls, the number of people in there were smaller, and their manners were more reserved than the people of the city and the fields. She grew up thinking that outsiders were disgusting and ill-mannered, but that evidently wasn't true.

As she walked, her clothes, sudden appearance, and manner of holding herself were drawing weird looks. Children looked at her and ran back inside. Women looked up and stared. Men frowned and kept closer to their homes. She sighed, knowing she'd never get through like this. She ran a hand through her hair and sighed.

"'Scuse me?" A voice called, nearly in town square. Sanga whirled around to face the person, startled. It was a large man, obvious in his fifties at least, accompanied by a young boy with wild curls and his mother, a dark-haired beauty with skin as tan as clay. Her hand ran through the boy's curls, but the light in her eyes was as protective and fierce as a mother eagle. Sanga took a step back at the look, looking instead to the old portly man.

The man grinned, "'Ello, my dear! Are you that 'crazed heretic' that the Divinity has been singing about for the past two or so days, is it?" 

Sanga froze and her eyes darted around, looking for exits, but her nerves steeled. She needed this. Not for herself, not even completely for Ashivon, but the kit was still pure, untouched by blood. She nodded, "We are passing through, but we just wanted to know where we are."

The man hummed and walked over, "You, m'dear, are in Cow's Foot. You're just outside their borders, but there are still a few folks who'll go down every month for... _you know_..." Sanga hummed and nodded.

"Thank you, Sir. I must be-" She began, moving to leave, but the man held up his hand.

His large grin never wavered, "What supplies are you carrying? Because it's either not enough, or none at all."

Sanga frowned and paused, "Why would it matter?" Her situation made her distrust a lot of things and this was setting off a few alarm bells.

"We have some to spare. Several times those ne'er-do-wells come through here and try to take our people for those damned pit-fights, and if helping you spits in their face? All the better," He shrugged. His demeanor was relaxing and Sanga felt her nerves getting eased slowly. "Keelan, go get a bag and pack the large blanket and enough of food for three for three days. Hop to it, kiddo." The child perked up and ran off into a nearby house. The woman from earlier relaxed.

"Are you sure? I- We will be grateful, but this is so much-"

The woman chuckled, "Don't worry about it. We hate the Divinity, so the fact you're leaving them and causing them this much trouble? It's rather amusing to watch." Her dark green eyes sparkled and Sanga allowed herself to smile and relax a bit. The woman's attitude changed as the boy came back out with a large pack on his back. The child came over and took it off.

"The people with rings like that are scary," Keelan whispered. He passed over the bag and ran back to the woman. She cooed and pushed him behind her leg. 

The man once again grinned, "M'dear, if you keep heading the way you've been going, you'll land in Fenry. They're more demon friendly and can help you if you'd like. If anyone could take down those cowpie-eaters, it'd be them. And steer clear of the next few villages. They're followers. Or if you do go, go like this, but cover your tattoos. I think that's all. Take care, yeah?" He held his hand up in a parting wave and Sanga smiled.

Her shoulders relaxed as she swung the backpack over, "I can never thank you enough."

His grin eased into a gentler look, "You are a child lost to the world, but so long as you have those two by you, the Goddess's true light will guide you." With those words, the three turned and left. Sanga felt the air in her lungs leave and she stumbled out of the village. As soon as she was out of sight, two beings jumped her. The smaller knocked her on her back, crooning in worry, and the taller kneeled, doing the same. 

She blinked and let her head rest on the grass. Her eyes found Ashivon's face and she smiled, "They're friends, but not next three villages. We'll be safe. We'll be safe." The woman laughed quietly and Ashivon smiled. He purred and pulled the kit into his arms.

"Hurry?" Sanga nodded and pushed herself up. The kit protested upon not being let down, but Ashivon wasn't putting him down. 

They passed by where they had been earlier and Sanga picked up her weapons. Putting them back in their places, she shared a look with Ashivon. He nodded and they continued on their way.

 Taking the man's advise, they did their best to avoid the next few villages, but the days were long and it was only a matter of time before they were noticed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I'd be posting every day, but like I said earlier, I'm undergoing a move and we've been nothing but cleaning. It's been... fun.


	6. Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanga and Ashivon are found by a teal-clothed group. Who are they and can they be trusted? Well, they have a surprise member and it will either help or lead to their doom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, guess who accidentally deleted at least 700 words when first writing this up? THIS ONE! I'm sorry this is moving kinda fast and everything, and if you all want me to slow down for anything, let me know. I am not opposed to rewriting something if enough people call for it (at least two or three)

Sanga and Ashivon strolled side-by-side, watching the kit playing ahead. They were trying to hold small-talk, letting Ashivon practice. He was able to hold the most basic of conversations now, even if it was only five days after their escape. They had managed to avoid the three Divinity-supporters, but they still knew it was only a matter of time before they were found. This didn't help their mental states much. On the surface, they seemed to be getting on fine, but the adults knew it was from it.

Sanga had her issues at meals. Instinct dictated she pray before meals and she would do so in her head. The problem arose on a certain line and she would growl, put her food down and storm further into the forest. She'd run her hand through her hair, running through a mantra, trying to drill it into her head, no matter how futile she felt it was. ' _The demons are_ not _evil and not out to kill you, the demons are_ not _evil and not out to kill you, the demons are_ not _evil and not out to kill you..._ ' She'd punch a tree and return. The kit would croon in worry, but she'd just chomp into her rations, the prayer forgotten. Ashivon looked at her in concern, but he never pushed the issue. He understood.

His issues came to him as nightmares. There were the times he dreamt of nearly being killed as a child. There were the times he dreamt of murdering without a second thought. There was the time he almost killed that one  _child_. But then... there were times he face Sanga, or the kit even. He took them down without a second thought, their pleas falling on deaf ears. Then there was the room. He was tied down, holy ropes tearing into his flesh, Sanga in the outskirts, waiting for her own turn, when he saw the child. He had been angry before. He didn't deserve this, Sanga didn't deserve this. 

But a child?

To say he had been angry now was an understatement. He didn't know the word for it yet, but he was enraged. He was not going to let another child suffer through this travesty. He usually woke up at this point, right before unimaginable pain tore at his back as he pushed against the ropes. 

Sanga had learned the best way to wake him up was to pet his tail gently, and not to go  _anywhere near_ his head, neck, or shoulders. She never pressed either, but just ran her fingers over the little tuff of fur on his tail until he went back to sleep. He never noticed it would curl around her hand, even as she kept petting it.

But their issues were their own and they were half-heartedly coping. Even as the two talked about food, Ashivon tried to keep an ear out for their surroundings. He had been in the middle of talking about bread when he heard hushed voices and quiet footsteps and he fell silent. Sanga took one look at his face and waited for the location of the threat. The kit heard the sudden silence and scurried back. 

Ashivon strained his ears and looked around in horror. He pushed the child between him and Sanga. He looked at her and spun his finger around in the air. She paled, but nodded and drew her weapons. Placing her back towards Ashivon, they were getting ready for a fight. Ashivon faced away from her and lowered his center of balance. He could only hope all the lessons Sanga had taught him over the years would come in handy. But now...

They had been found and were being surrounded.

There was no running or hiding this time.

They could only hope to fight them off and run.

A quiet growling echoed around the copse of trees and the kit crooned in fear. Sanga shushed him, taking another step back to cover him more. They were  _not_ going to take her child.

A sudden rustle from behind her had her fighting off instincts to turn around, but she didn't. She should have. 

Ashivon was caught completely off guard as a blur of black and silver pounced towards him. He met them mid-air, but the figure twisted them, making him take the land. He caught sight of them better and it felt as though air had been knocked out of his lungs.

It was another demon. An older one with horns as long as his forearm, but the fur covering their upper half was decorated, shaved with patterns. The other demon was also surprised, but even more-so when Ashivon threw him off. He returned to Sanga and the kit, snarling openly. He was not going to let this demon hurt his family, even if it killed him.

Sanga was facing her own problems. Two figures came at her, glowing teal shields in front of them. "Stand down!" The woman on her right called.

"What have we done?" Sanga growled, trying to keep herself between them and the kit. He was crying in fear and it was causing Ashivon and Sanga to tense up more. 

The demon growled as he circled them. Ashivon never took his eyes off of him, but when Sanga saw him, her eyes widened, "What have you done?"

"Stand down!" The teal-clothed woman instructed again. 

Ashivon took a deep breath and wrapped his tail around Sanga's ankle. "Run," He whispered. The oldest demon's ears perked and he snarled.

"You will not get far," He warned. Sanga swallowed and began to weigh her options. They were outnumbered and they were still injured as is. Even if they did manage to get away, it would not be all three of them-

"What in the name of the three Graces is going on?" A rough voice barked as a rider broke through the trees. It was a medium built man, but his muscles more than compensated for his size. The two figures and the oldest demon straightened and the shields fell away. The leader huffed and got off. "Did you announce our company, Hargens?"

The woman who had spoken before lowered her head more, "Negative, Sir. They were defensive-'

"Well, of course they would be! They were all but ambushed!" The leader protested. He huffed again and turned to the two demons and Sanga, "Forgive us. Their manners were less than optimal and will be getting a talking to when we get back to base, but we are Patrol number 27, Perseus sector, and part of the Fenry kingdom. We're here to escort you to the Queen. She's taken interest in your story and is willing to help." He smiled at the three and Ashivon stepped in front of the others.

Sanga put a hand on his arms, "Ashivon, let me talk." She waited, not wanting to push him. Reluctantly, he took a step to the side, but still wrapped his tail around her ankle. The old demon raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Sanga narrowed her eyes at him, but faced the leader, "Sir, we appreciate the offer, but we still have no idea where we are, and you're asking us to go with a group that both attacked us and has a demon in your company."

The man frowned, "And you travel with two yourself-"

"It is not the fact he is a demon, but what it takes to summon-"

His face relaxed, "Summon? Is that what Divinity does? The kingdom are in treaty with the Demon kingdoms and we trade military personnel to help keep the balance. We do not do such barbaric practices and our allies wish for them to stop. It's a reason why the Queen has taken such an interest. Someone has not only left the organization and  _lived_ , but freed two demons alongside her! You have vital information!" He took a step closer, offering his hand. Ashivon's ears pinned themselves back and Sanga put a hand on his arm once again.

"Ashivon, they're good. Safe," She pleaded. His eyes flickered over to her, looking for confirmation. She nodded and he slowly relaxed. The kit peeked out from behind them and chirped. The oldest demon smiled and chirped back. The kid's face lit up and he scrambled out, making a variety of different sounds. The older chuckled and rolled onto his back, tail wagging in amusement. 

Sanga stared in worry and Ashivon's tail tightened around her ankle. She sighed and nodded to the man, "Fine, but we want to be near the back. The slightest reason, and we're leaving. And we want your names."

The man nodded in agreement and kneeled before them, "Of course, ma'am. I am Sir Jamison Carolingian Alabaster the seventh, head of the platoon and seventeenth in line for the throne." He stood promptly and waved a hand to the others.

The woman from earlier rolled her eyes, but kneeled, "I'm Rayshal Hargens, third in command of this patrol and alternate brown-nose in case this one-"

"Hargens!" Sir Jamison (Sanga tried in vain to remember his name, but could only recall Jamison...) barked. Hargens chuckled and her demon comrade nudged her.

"Fine, sorry, miss...?"

Sanga nodded, "I'm Sanga, this is Ashivon, and we don't know the little angel's name-"

Hargens once again started laughing, "W-What?"

Sanga decided that this one was going to get on her nerves, but she liked Hargens all the same, "Yeah. Irony, huh?"

"Holy cowpie, yeah! But," She cleared her throat, pointing to her other companion. He had all but been ignored up until now.

He knelt, his pitch black hair falling over his eyes, "Drooden Kaller, Ma'am and Sir. Second in command of this patrol and head brown-nose-"

Sanga had to supress a chuckle as Jamison facepalmed, "You know what, I don't care. Zariath, please?" The demon in question picked the child off of himself and deposited him on the ground nearby. He stood and it unnerved Sanga just how tall he was.

The demon nodded to the noble and bowed, "I am Zariath, commander of this patrol. I apologize for my and my patrol's behavior, but we assessed the situation and deemed you all a threat to our safety and your own. Violence was deemed the best manner and-"

"Oh for the love of the three Graces, Zariath, put a cork in it!" Jamison groaned. Sanga and Ashivon shared a look and took a step closer to one another. They didn't trust this man, at all, and the other three were barely on the doorstep to their good graces.

Zariath frowned, but said nothing more to him, "We will be returning to Fenry's capital and will leave you with the Queen. There, arrangements will be made for living conditions and to get these two back to their families." Sanga swallowed and her hand on Ashivon's arm tightened. He took the subtle signal and pinned his ears back.

She took a deep breath, "We'll... need to talk, but getting the child-"

"This kit," Zariath offered.

Sanga nodded, "-The kit back to their parents is the most important thing. I'm going to need to talk to Ashivon about this."

The noble nodded and clapped his hands, "Great! So, let's get back to camp and we can start for the capital tomorrow."

"Sir, it's midday. If we packed now-" Zariath began, but Jamison huffed.

"Please, it has been a long stressful day for everyone and these three have probably been on the run for almost a week. Let's get them proper food and shelter and we can all trade stories, yes?" He suggested. His eyes glinted darkly and Zariath bowed his head. Ashivon crooned quietly, moving his tail to Sanga's waist and called the kit over. The child came bounding over and Ashivon scooped him up. 

This was either going to be the best or worst decision of their lives and they could feel it.


	7. Relaxing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashivon and Sanga can finally breathe. There's mild discussion about the new group's religion and the status of things to come. Also, fluff and confession???

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, yeah, so someone made a masterpost of all of TH's answers and someone said that the headcanon name for the kid was 'Angel'. Someone please tell me that it was a thing before this fic, or did I do that??? I am so lost but possibly proud right now.

Sanga and Ashivon hung back as much as they could in the group, but Zariath kept a close eye on them. Hargens was close continuously chatting and Ashivon gave Sanga a pleading look. Whether it was asking for her to stop the woman or to translate, she didn't know. Hargens began to slow down and gradual realization began to dawn in her eyes, "How much Common do you know?"

Ashivon paused, putting the words together, "N-Not much. L-Learning."

Hargens lit up, "That's great! We can all try to teach you!" Ashivon smiled, but he pushed more into Sanga. They both knew all of these people made him nervous. Well, both of them. They made both of them nervous. 

Sanga tried to change the subject, "Hargens, Sir Jamison..." The other woman chuckled at her attempt to remember the man's entire name and pat her on the back. Ashivon's lip pulled back and Sanga rubbed his back gently, toying with the fur in the center. He relaxed again and Hargens grinned.

"Are you two...?" She pointed between them and Sanga blushed brightly. 

She sputtered, "W-What? W-What do you _mean_?" Her voice ended in a small screech and the child in Ashivon's arms chirped. The former nun ran a hand through his hair to calm him and he purred happily. 

Hargens' grin grew bigger, "I didn't hear a denial~" She slung an arm over Sanga's shoulder and gave her a noogie. This time, Ashivon growled more audibly and Hargens chuckled. She backed off, dancing to the side. "Sorry, sorry, it's just so cute and funny! You know, back in Fenry, human-demon marriages are slowly picking up, so it wouldn't be all that uncommon, right?" Sanga's blush didn't go away and Hargens sighed. "Sorry, for real. I get a smidgy-widgy carried away sometimes. What were you saying earlier?"

Sanga cleared her throat and tried to fight the blush down, "He kept saying 'three graces'. Are they...?"

Hargens' face lit up and she pulled her shirt down a bit to showcase her tattoo, "Yep! They're our gods! One of them is actually your 'Goddess', and the other two are the 'God', and the last is the 'Exiled'. See how it wasn't that different from yours?" Sanga took a closer look and indeed, it was remarkably similar to hers, pre-slash. There was the original circle, line with a dash continued on the outside, and then another dash on the other side, but that's where the similarities ended. There was a line on the inside of the other dash and one final line down the center.

"I know the Goddess is life and ability, and God is death and inevitability, but what about the Exiled?" Sanga asked.

The taller woman shrugged, "They're the in between. If you feel as though the Goddess has forsaken you, and God refuses to claim you, the Exiled take in all and they're all about options. You can choose so much without being chained down. They're actually very popular because they're the 'people's god'."

Sanga nodded, "And your abilities work the same as..." She touched her own tattoo and Ashivon crooned softly, wrapping his tail around her wrist. She smiled at him and put her hand down, but neither she nor him removed the tail.

Hargens nodded, "Yeah, pretty much. We have more abilities though. The Exiled is all about protection so..." She activated her ability and the teal, see-through shield from earlier came onto her left wrist. "The God is all about death and all that, so he's all swords and actual weapons, but the Goddess..."

"Is about ability, giving you a mix. The weapon and the shield, the whip and the staff," Sanga finished.

"Riiight," Hargens nodded. "So, enough about that, tell me, what's happened over the past few days..."

* * *

Arrival to the base couldn't have been quieter. Hargens and Sanga continued to chat, trying to bring Ashivon into the conversation for practice and he was feeling more confident by the time they arrived. The kit jumped out of Ashivon's arms and was 'talking' to Zariath, even if all it was was excited chirps, squawks, and squeals. Jamison kept bragging to Drooden, but they let out whoops upon seeing the watchtowers. They were built with wood,  but it was evident they were slowly becoming replaced by stone. A horn sounded, announcing their arrival. 

The seven were soon flooded and after a few people getting a little too close to Sanga and the child, Ashivon snarled at everyone while hunching over them protectively. They soon gave them more than enough breathing room. Jamison began a tall-tale of their 'rescue' while Zariath commanded Drooden to take them to a guest room. He also insisted they should all stay together, something that Ashivon and Sanga thanked him for. He waved them off and told them to get some rest. It would be a week-long journey if the seven would be traveling together, and given that horses and demons don't get along, they'd have to walk.

Drooden led the three to their room, and grimaced in apology, "Sorry, we don't get many travelers through here, so there's only one bed."

Sanga shrugged, "We'll be fine, I'll sleep on the floor. Ash needs to feel what a real bed feels like and the kit usually sleeps on me." Drooden laughed at the mental image and ushered them in. Like Sanga had thought, it was a small, single room with a window, a cot, and a basin of water.

Ashivon ducked in, watching Sanga enter and wondered what to do. He'd never been in a proper bedroom before and his tail lashed almost violently. She looked over her shoulder and chuckled, "Come here, Ashivon. Let's get your wounds cleaned." He nodded and came over. She pushed him down gently, knowing if it was any harder, she'd trigger a few unhappy memories. Taking the basin's washcloth, she began to dampen it and clean the wounds once more. They were healing quickly, but all of the exercise over the past few days had made a few reopen. 

A small motion in the corner of their eyes made them look up, but it was only the kit, kicking his feet back and forth on the cot. He stared at them and smiled, "Sanga, sing?"

She froze and thought for a moment. What songs did she know? She remembered a few lullabies, but given they'd be going to sleep soon anyway, it couldn't hurt. Her voice picked up slowly, but it'd falter every time she saw Ashivon's ears twitch.

"Your voice is my guiding light,

even in the darkest night.

I won't forget the words you sang,

and all the hope you brang.

Even when all that hope is gone,

you'll always help me hang on.

Forget me not, my love, my dear,

With me close, you'll have all but fear."

She couldn't remember where she heard it, but all Sanga knew was that she could recall it from a young age. It was probably one of the Sisters who said it. She had shrugged it off long ago. 

A hand covered hers and she realized that Ashivon was shaking. The woman put down the cloth and kneeled next to him, "Ash, what's wrong?" He shook his head, but his body lurched forward to wrap her up in a hug. She stiffened in surprise, but quickly relaxed and began to thread her fingers through his hair and fur. Another body came around and squeezed between them, cooing softly. The adults chuckled but allowed Ashivon to cry softly. No one questioned it, just allowing it to happen.

* * *

 

No one came to get them for dinner and they ate the rest of their rations in the room. The kit had moved to the foot of the bed, Sanga sat on the edge, and Ashivon sat on the main portion. He had been shocked at how much it collapsed under him, but Sanga's smile reassured him that it was normal. He found he quite liked the bed. He figured he liked soft things in general, like S- Ashivon shook the thought away, but he still purred quietly at the thought. Finally, the kit began to yawn and Sanga cradled him in her arms.

She sighed, "Jamison and Zariath are going to take the kit back to his family, his parents."

Ashivon frowned in concentration, "Away from us?"

"Yes, but where he belongs. It will be good. He probably misses his parents," She said, running her fingers through the child's hair. He purred quietly, leaning into her grasp subconsciously. Her smile grew sad. "And... they want to get you back to your parents."

His eyes narrowed, "Away from you."

Sanga sighed and stopped her ministrations, "Yes. But do you remember... before Divinity?" Her hand traced her slowly-scarring wound. 

Ashivon sighed and let his head fall back onto the bed, "Little. More demons... I think happy..." His eyes closed, but they popped open as Sanga put a hand on his foot. Her fingers toyed with one of his toe beans. His feet wiggled out of her grasp, "Why?"

She chuckled, "Because. But... I... I don't know what will happen to me. I might join the Three Graces, but I... Divinity..." She shook her head. "Ashivon, the child needs his parents and you-"

"I need you," He declared, sitting up. Sanga's breath caught in her throat as she stared at him like a deer in headlights.

"Wha-"

"I not leave you, Sanga. You... help me. You were..." Ashivon grumbled, thinking for the word, but he didn't know what it was.

Sanga had a feeling she knew several words that could work, but her heart thumped in her chest, "Ashivon, please. I know what you're saying, but..." She sighed and leaned on him a smidge. He purred quietly, reaching for her, but she suddenly moved out of his grasp. "We need to sleep. We can talk about this in the morning, ok?" The woman offered him a gentle smile, but Ashivon's heart froze. There was a bit of fear in that smile. T-There was no why she was...scared of him, was she?

"Sanga, I-"

She shook her head, "I'm fine, I promise. I... I just need time to think, Ash. Get some sleep." Sanga moved so she was on the ground, comforted by the large blanket, given to her two days ago. The kit was pulled over her, cuddling into her side away always. Her back was going to be sore in the morning, but- 

Warmth encompassed her as Ashivon slipped off the bed and curled around them. He moved her head to his shoulder and his arms snaked around her, pinning her to him. She snorted in amusement and protest, but she knew he could be stubborn. Maybe...

"Can we at least move to the bed? It will be comfier," Sanga promised. Ashivon whined, but picked her up and moved them to the bed. The covers shielded them from the cold and they both drifted asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that's a thing


	8. Relapse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jamison is an idiot and, oh dear, that isn't good.

Knocking at the door had Sanga's head jerking up. Two pairs of arms were still wrapped around her, but she wasn't complaining. The person knocked again and she groaned, "Yes?" 

Luckily, the person didn't open the door, "Sir Jamison is asking for your presence at breakfast." Sanga sighed and put her head back on Ashivon's chest. He purred and she laughed at the feeling.

"Alright, we'll be out soon. We're still waking up," She called. 

"O-Oh, I-I am so sorry!" The person said. Sanga snickered quietly and pushed against Ashivon, but he grumbled.

"No, stay," The demon whined. 

She huffed and pushed more, "Ashivon, we have to get up, breakfast is important." She managed to slip out of his grasp, but the kit was still gripping her waist. Sanga sighed and moved to pick him up. He whined deep in his throat, but didn't protest otherwise. Sanga smiled and headed for the door, "Ashivon, c'mon. You need to get up." He crooned bitterly, but did so. His bedhead was horrible, and her own must have been bad too, but neither cared. It was too early in their minds. 

Ashivon opened to door and Sanga ducked under his arm. Hargens jumped as they emerged, "Good morning, you three! Sir Jamison is planning a speech at breakfast and you are the star guests!" Her enthusiasm this early in their day was refreshing, but also a little irritating.

"Hargens..." Sanga grit out.

The other woman perked up and grinned, "Yeah?"

"Too early. Please, take it down a few notches," She asked, rearranging the kit in her arms. He whined again and his eyes finally peeked open. He huffed and snuggled into Sanga's shoulder. 

Hargens smiled, "He really does like you two, doesn't he?" Her hand reached for his hair, but Sanga pulled him closer. The Fenrian caught the hint and put her hand down, "Sorry."

"No, it's just... So much happened and we don't know if he knows what was going to happen to him," Sanga admitted. Ashivon nodded in agreement and wrapped his tail around her ankle. She faltered for a split second, but relaxed. He crooned gently and she sighed, "Thanks, Ashivon." 

Before anything else could be said, the two came to a large building and Hargens threw open the doors. They knew that whatever great clamor had been there before was now gone, and entire chow hall was staring at them. Hargens marched in happily, but Sanga and Ashivon followed in slowly. Just like Jamison had said, there was a fair amount of demons in the crowd and they were staring in interest. Sanga's breath caught in her throat at the attention and some of Divinity's old mantras began to seep into her mind. Her breathing sped up and the kit crooned in worry.

The patrol from earlier, not including Jamison, who sat at the front at a central table with some old men and two old demons, were just to their right as they passed. They watched Sanga's face pale and Ashivon's tensing figure. He had noticed the former nun's panic and he was beginning to slip into a few old memories as well.

Zariath stood and faced Jamison, "I told you this was not a wise idea, Sir, and I recommend giving these two some air-"

"Nonsense, they'll be fine!" The noble shouted back. He stood and rose his arms, "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present..." He began his speech and Ashivon was suddenly back in the ring.

'... _Ladies and gentlemen, may I present Ashivon_...'

"...Ashivon and Sanga..."

'... _The deadly_...'

"...Who has survived the deadly..."

A hand slipped into his and Ashivon snarled loudly. He snapped at the hand, but it escaped him. He heard his name being called, but he knew it was only the overseers. He didn't want to feel the pain, the sting, the  _burn_ , of the Divine's staffs or whips, so he had a job to do. 

Take out the target.

He lunged at the person, his mind blocking their image. After all, they were all the same, all murderers, all-

An invisible wall blocked his target and he roared, clawing at it. Arms pulled back at him and he heard screaming, screaming,  _screaming_. His hair was pushed out of his eyes and a face stared at him, "Hey, big guy, we need you to calm down. You're in a safe place, you're warm, everything is fine..." The voice eased him back and suddenly, he was back.

Ashivon's eyes slammed open and he panted, "S-Sanga-" 

But the face in front of him was not Sanga, it was Hargens. Drooden pushed her back, nodding, "Nice job, wordsmith." She nodded shakily back, and he tried to push himself up. 

"S-Sanga," Ashivon pleaded, trying to get up, but strong arms still held him down, "W-Where, Sanga, _SANGA_!"

"She's here," Zariath stated, nodding to the people holding him down. When the hands holding him down released, Ashivon launched himself up. His eyes scoured the crowd, looking for the familiar hair, the bushy eyebrows, the warm eyes... He met them, but the eyes were no longer warm.

Sanga was sobbing, holding her arm close to herself. She faced him, shaking. Ashivon fell back, realizing what happened. H-He had a-attacked Sanga. There would be no way she would trust him now-

Zariath stood and snarled, "I told you,  _Sir,_ it was not a good idea to bring them here so early. They had just escaped a dictatorship and you expect them to be alright less than a week later? I am taking command of them." He turned to Hargens, "Get him back to the room. Drooden, get her to the infirmary. I'll take care of the kit." His subordinates nodded and Drooden picked up Sanga. 

"Sanga-" Ashivon called, but he knew he had to stay back. He had attacked her, he was going to kill her if-

Hands entered his vision, and he growled, but Hargens' soothing voice crept into his ears, "Hey, Ashivon, listen to me, everything's going to be fine, alright? Sanga knows you didn't mean to, but you need to get out of here before you have another episode, yeah? C'mon, follow me," Hargens walked back, trying to guide him out. He followed, almost absent-mindedly, but his own guilt kept him from thinking straight. She led him back to the room and closed it behind her reluctantly. 

He was alone again.

* * *

Sanga sobbed as she held her hand close. Drooden was trying to rush her to the medical tent, but he didn't want to jar her too much. "Curse Jamison, curse that idiot, curse them all," He cursed under his breath. He pushed the stark white sheet back and the doctor looked up in alarm. He took note of the patient and her bleeding hand.

"Status?" He demanded, his sharp icy eyes looking over the injury.

Drooden put her down and rubbed her blood onto his trousers, "She, um, was attacked by a demon-"

The doctor's eyes cut into his, "What? Who? I am going to kill-"

"No, h-he d-didn't, m-me-mean to!" Sanga sobbed, still shaking. "W-W-Where-"

"Never mind. Talk while I work," He growled, raising his hands. A familiar yellow glow coated his hands and next thing any of them knew, the slash marks through her hands were healed. All that remained were thick, pale scars that coiled around her left hand. She still cried, but it was more phantom pain than anything at that point. "What. Happened."

She curled up, "W-We were summoned to breakfast-"

"Summoned? Apologies, I should have asked, but who are you?" The doctor cut in. His aging white hair began to get in his eyes, so he pushed it back.

Sanga took a shaky breath and showed her Divinity tattoo, "I-I'm Sanga, a-and-"

The doctor sighed, "That's enough. Let me guess, Jamison, his royal idiocy?" Drooden nodded and the doctor huffed, "Everyone told him that you two were going to be unstable, but he didn't listen, as always. Send him to me later. Ma'am, will you be alright?" Sanga began to stand and grunted as he knees shook.

"I-I'll be fine. I need to t-talk with Hargens. I h-heard something about..." She swallowed her words and Drooden nodded. He held his hand out, but Sanga frowned at it. He took it back, not quite understanding her anger. "You didn't tell us you had a wordsmith here."

"Hargens never uses it for bad, but it's a part of who she is. It's not her fault-" Drooden began, but Sanga scoffed.

"It's dishonest and-"

He took a step closer and towered over her, "I understand Divinity warped your perceptions, but wordsmiths are revered here. Do not judge her for trying to care and connect." He huffed and noticed Sanga had shrunk back. "Look, I'm-"

"W-Where's Ashivon and the kit?" Sanga demanded nervously. Drooden bowed his head and nodded.

He held his hand out, "Follow me." Sanga still didn't take it, but pushed past him. Drooden sighed in frustration and left after her.

The doctor frowned and collapsed back in his seat, "So, that was the Divine who broke free from the Goddess's light... What do you think about them, thy shine?" The glow that had covered his hands earlier returned in a weak flare and he smirked. "Yeah, I think so too."

* * *

The door to the room opened and Ashivon's head shot up in alarm. Sanga entered, in an argument with... Drooden, "No, I don't want you here- I'll be fine-"

"I know, Sanga-" Drooden said, but Sanga whirled around in the doorway.

She snarled at him, "Don't 'I know', me! I'm sick of people trying to decide for us!" She slammed the door and pressed her back to it. "Curse them all. Curse that idiot, curse this idiot, curse me, curse everything!" She growled and her hands bunched into fists. "Ok, Sanga, calm down, calm down, deep breaths, you can do this, you can do this-"

Ashivon decided now was the best time to announce his presence. He crooned quietly, staying low and trying to look as small and non-threatening as possible. Sanga's breath caught in her throat as she looked around. Her eyes finally landed on him and she took in a shaky breath. He was in the far corner, there was plenty, but still not enough, space between them. Ashivon whined, trying desperately to show her he was sorry, that he didn't mean to.

Sanga slid down the door, "I-I... I..." She shook her head, trying to get the image of him earlier, of his hunched form, his fangs bared and claws with hints of her blood under them... She couldn't shake the image. 

He crooned and crept forward, staying low as he could. As he drew closer, Sanga's breath was getting shallower, but he pushed forward, slowly, slowly, slowly-

His nose touched her leg and she shook, "A-A-Ashi-" She hid her face in her hands and he nuzzled her leg very gently. Over the next few minutes, her breathing eased out and she peeked out between her fingers. A hand slowly reached out and almost touched one of his horns- _horns she's seen him gut someone with once_ \- and paused. Ashivon then,  _of course_ , decided to move his head up and his hair touched her hand. 

He immediately burst out into purrs, trying to get her to relax again. Sanga wanted to pull her hand back desperately, but common sense told her that she was safe. But her instincts told her this  _thing_ was going to hurt her  _again_ , but for the umpteenth time in the past week, she mentally told her instincts to take a flying leap. She slowly began to pet him and he moved so his face was buried in her stomach. 

Sanga still trembled, but Ashivon's purrs slowly relaxed her into a sense of security. They both know that this would set them back and they were back to literal square one; Ashivon's fear of hurting Sanga, and her fear of succumbing to Divinity's lies had been rendered true. Now, they had to fix this before the damage became irreversible.

Ashivon soon fell asleep, but his purrs never quieted. Sanga's shaking had stopped, but she sighed, "I'm sorry, Ash. I-I'll try, but I'm scared. I'm scared." Her whispered echoed around the room until she fell asleep as well, her hand still buried in his hair. 

No one disturbed them until lunchtime.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small thing to try and make this better: My mom is trying to insist I put an angry pterodactyl in here.   
> An explanation: Wordsmiths are a special kind of magick user. They're born with it and it's an ability to warp words to their advantage. They're like... (the only way I can put this) is a character with +20 charisma. Their words are laced with their own magic and the only way to be immune to it is knowledge of the other person's ability, so Sanga now knows and will hold Hargens at an arm's length until she manages to get over it. Make sense? Questions? Concerns? Yes? No? Maybe so?


	9. Forgiveness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanga and Ashivon try to do lunch again, but Jamison isn't present this time. Things go only slightly better. Only slightly.

Thumping against Sanga's back made her groan, but quickly cry out. She tried to thrash away, but a pair of arms held her down. She pushed at them, trying to get out of some mental monster's hold. A soft whine came from the body and Ashivon looked up. Once he saw it was Sanga, saw her fear, the panic in her eyes, he pushed himself away, "Sanga, safe, good, safe..." His gentle croons eased her back into a relaxed state, but she still feared the claws that had marked up her hand and arm not but hours before. She brought her arm closer, hiding it from his view and he whined gently.

The person behind the door banged again, making both jump, "Sanga? Ashivon? Zariath wants to see you. He wants to introduce you to the camp, but without, you know, his royal idiocy." It was Hargens and Sanga frowned. She rose and pulled open the door. Hargens was nervous, flicking her dark fingers together. "So, Drooden told me you know, and I'm sorry, I didn't know the Divine thought of wordsmiths as dishonest..."

Sanga sighed tiredly, "Look, we were just taught that they were sly, lying people who wanted to trick you into doing bad things..." Hargens shrunk down with every word, biting her lip. It was obvious that she had heard these words before. Sanga hummed, "But... I don't think you meant any harm by it. I know that now, so they won't have much effect over me. Why  _did_ you keep it a secret?"

Hargens brightened a bit more and smiled, "Zariath wanted to have someone who could calm you or Ashivon down if it was needed. It was how Ashivon was brought back so quickly during... you know..." Her voice trailed and her eyes fell on Sanga's arm, "Hey, Doc Gulerod saw you!" She reached for Sanga's arm, but the woman pulled it back. Ashivon growled in warning, but Sanga shrunk back. Instantly, he stopped and crooned instead and Sanga forced herself to relax.

"Y-Yeah. L-Look, we're still-" Sanga looked over at Ashivon and chirped quietly in concern. She smiled and swallowed, "We can try, but a little bit of space could help. Jamison's speech was similar to the announcer on execution day-"

Hargens gasped and she snarled, "I'm going to kill that man. He knew."

Sanga's eyebrows rose, "How? I didn't know of any outsiders coming... unless.. it was... for hospitality..."

Hargens' face hardened, "That. Bastard.  _KNEW."_ She stormed off and Sanga and Ashivon shared a look and followed her. 

* * *

Hargens burst into the dining hall as before, but she was on a warpath. Zariath sat at the head, where Jamison had sat, and she stopped a few feet in front of his table. She snarled, grunted, and growled, and the result was instant across the demons in the room. There were more snarls and growls than Sanga had ever heard before and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She shrunk into herself, but a comforting hand covered her unscarred one. A familiar furry limb wrapped around her ankle and her subconscious recognized this first as  _threat_ , but then  _protector_. She went with the second and cowered into Ashivon's side. 

Zariath's eyes flickered past Hargens and slammed his fist on the table. It cracked under his assault, but the room went silent. "We are not here to discuss the wrong-doings of our foolish commander, but to discuss our visitors, Sanga and Ashivon. They have taken a kit into their care and freed him from a life of slavery. We must assemble a group to both escort them to the Queen and then, my brothers and sisters, to our homeland to be reunited with their families. For Sanga, she will discuss with the Queen, but for the time being, you will either continue as normal, or join the guard. Is there any opposition?"

There were whispers, but a single demon stood up. They were on the small side, clearly built for stealth than strength, but the anger in her eyes threatened to take down Sanga with the intensity as it was. "I vote we leave her to face her people-"

"Volgen-"

She roared at Zariath, " _NO!_ They took my brother away from me thirty years ago, so they can all go  _die-"_ Sanga shook at the tone as Volgen turned her attention back to the former nun. "You know our people's way, Zariath,  _life for a life_ -"

Zariath leaped over his table and Hargens, and towered over Volgen, "You will stand down and if you kill either of them, you remove  _any_ hope of justice for your brother."

Volgen's ears pinned back, but she kneeled down, " _Fine._ But I want the bastard's name who killed him."

Sanga thought and she thought  _hard_. The executioner of the, well, executioner were always highly revered and their names had been etched into the walls. She knew the past dozen executioners by heart. The one before Ashivon... that was, "Rickard. His name was Rickard Garithan."

"What?" Volgen hissed, clearly surprised. "You... You know his name?"

Sanga pushed deeper into Ashivon's side, even as her mind  _screamed_ , "Y-Yeah. I-In the Sanctuary, t-they're thought as celebrities, but they're just monsters."

Volgen stared her down, thinking. After a tense moment, the demoness backed down, "I don't know you, monster, but you have earned yourself another day to breathe." 

Sanga took a deep breath and bowed her head, "Thank you." Volgen scoffed and took her seat. 

Zariath puffed himself up to his full size and looked around, "Any  _other_ protests?" There was silence and he nodded, "Well then, I'll be talking to some of you individually to ask for your participation, but carry on. No one is to talk to Jamison. I will handle him." Nods echoed through the room and he faced Sanga and Ashivon, "The kit is in the hallway. If you would like to fetch him, you will eat up here with me." He pointed to a side door and went back to his half-destroyed table, nodding to Hargens as he passed.

Sanga nodded and pulled away to dart for the door. Ashivon cried out but followed her quickly. True to his word, the child was playing with a ball in the hallway. When the door opened, he looked up and he grinned. He purred loudly and jumped towards Sanga. She barely managed to catch him and he nuzzled her neck, still purring. She chuckled, "Hey there, little angel. It has been an interesting day so far."

He looked up, "Good?" Her face must have faltered because he trilled in worry. Sanga smiled again and kissed his forehead, calming him once more. "Food?"

"Food," Sanga agreed. She turned to Ashivon and smiled uncertainly, "You coming too?"

His face lit up and he got the door for them. Zariath welcomed them to the front. The kit sat next to him, then Ashivon, Sanga, and Hargens at the end. The food was well cooked and Sanga and Ashivon dug in with fervor. The wordsmith was chatting again and Sanga cocked her head, "I didn't know you spoke... Demon."

Hargens grinned through a mouthful of meat, "The more languages a wordsmith knows, the better, right? It comes in handy. You do know that the kit has called you two 'Auntie' and 'Uncle' on several occasions, right?" Sanga grinned and looked over to the kit, rolling the wooden ball on the table.

"No, I didn't. I've only known him for a short time, but if anything happened to him, I'd kill everyone in the room, then myself," She declared. Ashivon looked at her in terror, but Hargens choked on her food in her laughter. After a quick moment getting it free (it had gone flying into the crowd, lost forever), Hargens brought Sanga in for a one-sided hug. The nun chuckled, "You know, I don't think it's just the wordsmith part that makes you so likeable."

The soldier's grin grew, "Yep! That's just me!" Her smile faltered, "But, hey, I've noticed something else..." Sanga leaned in a bit, so Ashivon wouldn't hear. "Ashivon doesn't know all that much Demonspeak. Is there a reason for that or...?"

Sanga took a deep breath, "He was... summoned... at a young age. There weren't any other demons at the Sanctuary, so there was no one else to talk to. But... he's been a fast learner so far and I think he's been picking up some things from the little Angel..." She shrugged and looked over to her boys. Ashivon was still digging in, but his eyes were on her. 

Hargens hummed, "He does love you, you know. It doesn't take a wordsmith to understand body language. He regrets what he did."

"I-It's... not what  _he_ did, but my brothers, sisters, and I had been brainwashed into thinking that demons were these, these...  _monsters_ , that they were murderers, and showed us as much on execution days. But... there was just something about... Ashivon, I guess. He seemed so... tortured and something deep inside me didn't want him getting hurt again, so I trained alongside him. There were almost always bars between us, but he showed me the truth, and I... I don't know what I showed him, that humans aren't bad? But what happened earlier, something just clicked in my mind that maybe Divinity was right. Common sense is telling me he wouldn't hurt me, not on purpose, but instincts are telling me he would, he  _did._ Goddess, I don't even know why I'm, I can't stop," Sanga ranted. She resolved to cover her mouth with her hands, making Hargens chuckle.

"You love him too, but your mind is holding you back," Hargens said. Her hands pulled away Sanga's to cover them. The look in her eye suddenly became... much older... than Sanga was prepared for. "I know it seems scary, but you need to trust him. You know him better than anyone here, and he knows you as the kind hand that defended him when no one else would, Sanga. You two are such a power couple, but you're scared of each other. This isn't something you're going to overcome in a few minutes, a few hours, or maybe a few days. This is something you strive for. Learn to trust him and to get your instincts to trust him too. Demons aren't as scary as they seem, they're just overgrown house cats," She laughed and Sanga joined in. 

Sanga nodded, "I... I'll try and you might be right. I just... I... I don't know how to get over this."

Hargens put her hands down, "You don't. You learn to live with it. You'll know when you do and be happy when you can." A familiar tail wrapped around Sanga's ankle and she squeaked. Ashivon chuckled in the corner of her eye and she narrowed her gaze playfully. He grinned and she fought back a shiver at his fangs, she knew that while he was in his right state of mind, he wouldn't hurt her. 

It would take time, but she'd force herself to live with it, because she didn't know what she'd be able to do if she couldn't.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one day, but tomorrow might not have one so... yeah. Packing stuff sucks


	10. Preparation and Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zariath begins to select people to come along and Jamison gets a talking to. By who?

Lunch went by quickly and everyone was dismissed. Zariath stared everyone down and everything.... paused. Expectant eyes, demon and human alike, watched him closely. His head tipped back as he gave a reiteration of his earlier command, "No one is to confront Jamison. I will speak to him. Everyone is to treat him as if they do not know. If anyone breaks my orders, they  _will_ deal with me. Am I understood?" A collective salute overcame the room and Zariath nodded. He gestured for his tablemates to follow him.

They trickled out a side door and Hargens took her place beside her commander. Her eyes were sharp, something that set Sanga and Ashivon on edge. She followed a half-step behind him, "Who do you want me to gather?"

Zariath paused and lowered his head so he could whisper. Hargens seemed to agree with all of them- up until the last. She hissed and took a step back, "Sir, are you...?"

He rose to his normal height again, "Do you trust me, Hargens?" She sighed and nodded.

"Apologies sir. I'll let them know and gather them in the meeting room. When will you be joining us?"

"I'll be guiding the others there and discuss some plans. Just knock before you enter?" Hargens nodded with a smile and darted off. Zariath hummed in amusement and headed back. Ashivon's eyebrows rose in confusion and Sanga had to agree. They seemed so... relaxed with each other. The four continued and a large building stood in their way. Zariath opened the large door for them. Sanga and Ashivon nodded their thanks as they entered.

Their eyes caught the single long table down the length of the room and the several maps that lined the walls. Ashivon had a very early memory of seeing one of his homelands and he drifted towards its sister map. Sanga watched him and trailed behind. 

His claws hovered over a map and slowly rested on a single position. He remembered a large, warm hand pointing to the exact same spot, a warm smile and a deep chuckle as his father said-

"Home."

"So, you are from the Northern region. You don't have the necessary fur, probably a result of living in the south for so long," Zariath noted, coming up behind them. Sanga tensed and stepped away, but the kit crooned, pressing into her side. Ashivon gave her a gentle smile. She relaxed again. "We sent word to the Queen and the demon kingdoms moments after your arrival and we will be met by Her Highness, the demon rulers, and your parents." 

Ashivon tensed and he reached for Sanga's hand. She hesitated for a moment but grabbed it. His tail was lashing all over the place, something Zariath did not miss. His red eyes cut into Ashivon, "You don't want to leave, or at least her."

"No," He replied instantly. "I don't want to leave Sanga," His eyes turned to her and suddenly, her breath caught in her throat. That look... it was the one he gave her the night they escaped. He hadn't wanted to leave her then and he didn't want to leave her now. Sanga smiled and squeezed his hand. 

Zariath sighed, "I thought that was the case. I will speak to my superiors, but I wish you both to understand, your positions will not make this look good."

Sanga tensed again, "What do you mean?"

"To the demons, you may be a former member, but you will always be a part of Divinity. To some of the humans, Ashivon will always be the executioner. I see Ashivon's parents reacting to you in one of two ways and one of them includes you getting attacked," Zariath snapped. His posture was tense and Sanga's mind was screaming at her that he was going to pounce. Ashivon squeezed her hand and stepped closer to her, so he could wrap his tail around her ankle. Zariath seemed to understand his body language and took a deep breath, "Apologies, there is no excuse."

Sanga relaxed again, allowing herself to breathe, "It's fine. Is there anything else?"

Zariath nodded, "Would you be willing to talk about your experiences of Divinty in front of others and potentially many times?"

"I... I guess. Why-"

A knock on the door cut her off and Zariath raised his head, "Enter." Sanga frowned at the dismissal, but she had bigger issues to deal with. Specifically, a very angry demoness as she charged in and threw herself at Zariath. Her feet planted in his hips and her hands clung onto his shoulders, but one let go to threaten his throat with a claw.

Volgen snarled as she held her hand up to his neck, "Tell me why,  _Commander_ , you want me to go on this trip with the murderer, the sorry-excuse-for-a-demon, and the kit?" Sanga's figure tensed up, but not only in fear, but anger. For anyone who had grown up in the Sanctuary, being called a murderer wasn't just an insult, it was stain on their character. It was lower than low and the equivalent of saying to walk into the pits. But... Ashivon fought every day to stay alive and she could have tried to break him out earlier, hell she had several dozen chances and they would have gotten further than they had if they went then.

Regardless of her thoughts, Sanga was beginning to get frustrated and anger began to course through her veins, "It's not his fault, Volgen." The demoness stopped and her head snapped over. Zariath looked mildly panicked and Ashivon put a hand on her shoulder to try and calm her down, but Sanga pushed his hand off. She took a step closer to Volgen, "It is not his fault he was locked away and forced to either kill or be killed-"

"You're right, it's your fault-" Volgen snarled, dropping off of Zariath. He grabbed her arm, but she whirled around in a hiss. In a moment of self-preservation, he backed off. Ashivon was pulling on Sanga, but she put her hand over his, trying to calm him down and keep her own head.

"No, it's not my fault. I was a child and a follower. I never understood-"

Volgen laughed bitterly, "Never understood? Murdering and mindless-following seems pretty understanding-"

Sanga bared her teeth, "We were told from the day one that Divinity was trying to protect us and we had to serve, and in return, we received the Goddess's blessing-"

"I'll give you a blessing," The taller woman smirked, holding up her claws again. Sanga lifted her head, showing her throat. Ashivon tensed and his grip suddenly became bruising.

"Then do it. It will not bring your brother back and it won't fix anything, but it will prove what Divinity had told me since I was born: that demons are out to kill us," Sanga snarled. Her head lifted higher and Volgen raised her hand.

Her yellow eyes glinted dangerously, "You really know which notes to play, don't you? What's stopping me from slashing your throat right now?"

Sanga let a small smirk cover her face, "Because, you're proud. You want to be better than Divinity and you want to show Ashivon that demons aren't mindless killers like he's been told all of his life too." Volgen thought over her words and shifted her weight a little closer.

"I still don't like you. One toe out of line, and Ashivon will have to find someone else, do you understand me?" Volgen snarled in Sanga's ear.

The former nun hummed, "I would never hurt them, but if you do, I will return it tenfold."

"The kit will not understand pain," She stated.

"Agreed," Sanga said and they pulled away from each other.

Hargens cleared her throat, "Well, now that we have that out of the way... Sir, I brought the others." She gestured to three others and Sanga felt herself relax for all of two seconds. It was Doc Gulerod, Drooden, and... Jamison. The last's blonde hair seemed to be out of it's normal slicked back nature, but he was all in order for the moment. They wondered what happened.

Zariath nodded and straightened his shirt, "Thank you, Hargens. You'll be coming along as well." She nodded and the commander began again, "I wish to let you all know that you will be coming to the capital. We are going to be leaving tomorrow morning at sunrise. I am going to have the cooks pack food, but any personal belongings, you must carry yourself. Anyone not up in the morning will be rudely awoken and will serve first watch tomorrow night. Is that understood?"

Doc raised his hand, "You do understand I have patients, right?"

The demon raised an eyebrow, "You do understand you have assistants you have trained yourself, right?" 

"Touche," The doctor grunted, pulling a stick out of his uniform pocket to chew on. Volgen wrinkled her nose at the sounds, but Drooden rolled his eyes behind doc's back, making her snort. Doc threw his elbow behind him and the soldier sputtered as it implanted in his stomach. Hargens and the kit giggled.

Ashivon crooned quietly and Sanga turned to him, "Ashivon?" He bowed his head, whining quietly. She suddenly realized he had been silent during the entire exchange and saw her showing her throat to a threat. "Ashivon, I'm sorry. Are you ok?" Her hands hesitantly grasped his and his body seemed to relax.

"Do not do again," He begged. Sanga nodded and his tail came up to wrap around her wrist. She smiled and one hand moved to toy with the tuff. Volgen scoffed, but the two ignored her.

Zariath cleared his throat, "Any other concerns?" His eyes bore into Jamison's and any protest the pompous little man would have made died in his throat. No one said anything and the commander nodded. "Alright. Meet back here are dawn. Dismissed." The others filtered out, leaving only Ashivon, Sanga, and the kit in the meeting room.

Ashivon moved slowly, letting Sanga know what he was doing as he wrapped her up in a hug, "Why?"

She took a deep breath again and eased nervously into the hug. She mentally kept track of where his claws were as she closed her eyes, "I was scared." Scared of Volgen, scared for Volgen, for Ashivon, for the kit, for her. Her mind finally seemed to catch up, and o-oh goddess, she almost got herself killed again- 

Her knees shook and Ashivon lowered them to the ground, and memories of barely a week before floated back to them. Only this time, it wasn't Ashivon who had a confrontation. That shook him to the core. He could deal with pain and threats, especially if it meant Sanga would be safe. Sanga was the smart one, she handled people must better than he did. He trusted her judgment when it came to the three of them. He knew that Sanga could hold her own, and he would never get in her way of a fight, but it didn't mean he liked her getting hurt when he could do something. He wanted to do everything he could to protect her.

Sanga was done playing damsel-in-distress and she hated that she was putting Ashivon off to the side when he could be making his own decisions. Ashivon was her guardian, her view into the truth. He showed her more than Divinity and once he cleared her fogged glasses, he gave her the chance to do right. He told her he cared, and Sanga honestly had no idea what she would do with herself if she didn't have Ashivon. She remembered when she first saw him several years ago, just after he first arrived at the Sanctuary. He was scared and pacing around his cage. It made her curious and for the first time, she had thought that she wanted to get to know this person. Now? She wanted to do everything she could to protect him.

The hug that caused it all tugged at their minds, but they eased into this new one, knowing no one could cut through- 

The kit chirped as he squeezed between them. Ashivon chuckled and made room for him, sitting the kit on his knee, "Hello."

"'Ello!" The kit squeaked, nuzzling into them. Sanga sighed happily and leaned into them. For the moment, they were safe, recovering, and some degree of happy.

* * *

Hargens frowned as she walked beside Zariath, "Sir... Why  _are_ you bringing Volgen?"

He sighed as he worked on his patrol, "A dog doesn't unlearn tricks simply because it understands the tricks are wrong."

She froze and stared him down, "Sir, are you saying...?"

"I'm taking precautions. You are a wordsmith, but you cannot read minds. We don't know if this is some ploy by the Divine to bring down Fenry. If the Queen's troops go marching in with wrong information, they could get slaughtered," He explained, stopping. He turned around, "You trust me, Hargens. You know I am doing this for the safety of our kingdoms and besides..." A smirk covered his face, "If Jamison steps out of line, I know no one better to tear out his throat than her. She'll get her justice. If not with him, then when we storm the Sanctuary."

Hargens nodded, "Of course, Sir. They... They do understand that their summoning to the capital means they'll be discussing war, right?"

Zariath sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "I don't know, Hargens. But we'll know when we get there. I'll let Volgen know she has the option to teach Ashivon Demon along the trip as Sanga teaches him Common."

She snorted and returned to his side, "That'll go well." Zariath chuckled and continued on. Their patrol continued uneventfully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... yeah? You can't be too careful? Thoughts? Also, if I didn't say it enough earlier, Volgen is a very proud person and she's deflecting her hate of Divinity and the fact that she couldn't free these two demons herself onto Sanga. Sanga also let her anger block her fear because our girl don't take no s*** (for those of you with people reading over your shoulders).


	11. Chapter 11

Dinner went on similar to lunch, but the group heading to the Capital separated themselves in a far-off corner. Hargens, Doc, Volgen, and Drooden were off in the main crowd, saying their good-byes to their friends. Sanga and Ashivon saw similar scenes. Comrades standing to give hugs, slaps on the back, or hair ruffles. Volgen got plenty of the latter from taller demons, and a few hugs, while Hargens was almost completely hugs. Doc wandered around, tapping people on the head, probably giving reminders about treatment or to stay out of trouble. Drooden was almost knocked off his feet several times by friends. Zariath had a few people come over and give a salute and a quick report and promises to keep everyone in line. 

He returned the gesture and turned back to the three. The kit was between Ashivon and Sanga, playing with his food, Sanga was using her utensils, and Ashivon was digging in with his hands. The commander sighed and grabbed his fork, chewing through the stew slowly, knowing it would be at least a week until they had good food like this. A month, if something went wrong.

Footsteps approaching the table made them all look up and Ashivon snarled openly at Jamison. The noble raised his hands, "Peace, please. I would like to apologize-"

"Sir, we discussed this. Do not mention it again or I will notify your cousin-"

Jamison frowned, "Cousin-in-law. She does not need to be notified."

Zariath raised his head, "Then say nothing and eat." Jamison winced and did as he was told, sitting across from Ashivon and Sanga. He picked up his utensils, digging in slowly. He heard the slurping in front of him and looked up, wrinkling his nose. Ashivon saw the disapproval and put his bowl down. Sanga noticed it and put her utensils in favor of grabbing her bowl and bringing up to her face like Ashivon had done a moment ago.

Jamison sneered, but Sanga snarled, beef and chopped carrots showing in her teeth, "Deal with it." She looked to Ashivon and smiled encouragingly. She took another slurp and he chuckled. He did the same and the kit peeked over in confusion before picking up his own bowl. Zariath shook his head with a small smile as he saw the three slurping at their food like kits... well... one was... but... 

Ashivon gave the commander a cheerful look from the corner of his eye and Zariath knew he was enjoying showing up the noble. Zariath's tail twitched in pleasure before he abandoned his utensils as well. 

The others joined them slowly and everyone saw the showdown between the group and Jamison. Hargens grinned before picking up her own bowl, Drooden following shortly. Volgen stared at them before she met eyes with Sanga. The human breifly glared at Jamison, who was the only one using his spoon at this point. Volgen nodded in acknowledgement and picked up the bowl and tore into her bread. 

"Ok, seriously? Were you all raised in a barn?! I get these three behaving like-"

"Pick your next words carefully, Sir," Drooden warned, looking around. Hargens nodded, raising an eyebrow cautiously. Volgen merely peeked out of the corner of her eye, still sipping on her stew.

Jamison frowned, "I get that I'm not liked, I get it, I do! But you can't exile me like this! I am the head of this platoon-"

Volgen slammed her bowl down, "On paper,  _Sir_. I follow Zariath and  _only_ Zariath." She stood and faced her leader, "Sir, I am heading to barracks. Objections?"

"None. You are dismissed. Remember your orders," Zariath stated, waving his hand. Volgen saluted and left. 

Ashivon finally let himself ponder the salute. It was a slight bow with the arms at their sides. He also noticed if the performer was a demon, their tail remained low unless they were addressing someone lower-in-station, in which case, their tail was higher. He chewed absent-mindedly on a piece of meat and savored it.

The rest of the night went quickly and passed into obscurity.

* * *

Sanga's nerves didn't let her sleep very well, so she was up far before the sun was even thinking of rising. She faced Ashivon, she couldn't bear turning her back on him,  _not when he could-_ She shook off the thoughts, but they had latched into her mind. She might not have been resting on his chest like the day before, but the kit had squeezed between them, giving her an excuse to have a little room. Ashivon had curled around them regardless and his tail wrapped around her ankle. 

A few particular birdsongs caught her ear and she shook the kit, "Little angel? It's time to get up." He crooned in protest, trying to curl deeper into her chest, but she chuckled, "C'mon, it's time to get up." His orange eyes peeked open and he pushed himself up. Sanga smiled and looked to Ashivon. He seemed to be waking up slowly, but they still had to get up. "Ash? Ashivon?"

Much like the kit, he whined and tried to curl more around the other two. His arms felt around, but Sanga kept out of his arms, "Come on, Ashivon, we need to move." His eyes opened and he sighed, "Yeah, I know, but we gotta get ready. The birds have started to sing, so the sun will be up in a little while." His tail unfurled from her leg, letting her get up. She grabbed the pack that Keelan's town had lent them and began to pack up the blanket they had gifted. 

Given that was all they owned, she was able to throw it over her shoulder and work on getting the demons out of bed. The kit had curled back into Ashivon and both were drifting off to sleep. Sanga sighed in aggravation and began to tap her foot. Divinity may have prepared her for quick wake-up calls, but the other two may not have had such rituals. "You two, the others will leave without us. We need to go. Now." She headed to the door and hoped tapping on the doorknob until they awoke would help. Their ears twitched at the sharp sound of her nails hitting metal and they got up. She fixed their hair and led them out. The kit was whining and clasped onto Ashivon's hand, but he was equally as sleepy, so he held Sanga's hand. She smiled, but led the small train to the meeting room.

Zariath, Volgen, Doc, and Drooden were there, but Hargens and Jamison had yet to arrive. Drooden held a large mug of a steaming liquid. His eyes caught Sanga and he offered it, but she shook her head. Morning drinks would just put her back to sleep. She noticed that Volgen and Zariath didn't have any and raised an eyebrow. Drooden didn't miss the look, "Demons can't have coffee. Makes them sick."

Sanga nodded. Before she had a chance to say anything, the door slammed open. The kit and Ashivon hissed, but Hargens sent an apologetic look, "Sorry, just got up. I saw Doc's light on, so he'll be over in a few."

"Any word on that furball?" Volgen snarled, her tail lashing behind her. Hargens shrugged, but the man in question crept in the door and closed it behind him.

He smoothed his hair back, "Early to bed, early to rise, that's what I always say!" The women in the group rolled their eyes and Sanga took a seat. The kit took this chance to crawl into her lap and try to catch a little more sleep.

She tapped his back, "Hey, don't go falling back to bed. We have to move here in a few." Regardless, he cooed and went back to sleep anyway. He was able to get about seven minutes of sleep before the door opened one last time.

Doc held it open, "C'mon, folks. Queen ain't waitin' for no one." He already had a large medical bag tied to his back. Zariath stood and began to pass out another large back to everyone.

"The cooks have prepared enough for everyone to last a week. You are each responsible for your own pack, so if you lose it, we will not share with you. We're heading out now. Bathroom breaks can be made on the way. Anything else?" He asked.

Drooden held up a hand. The commander nodded to him, granting permission. "What about weapons?" Volgen held up her claws, Hargens' shield rose, Jamison rattled the sword on his back, and Zariath raised an eyebrow. The soldiers looked to the escapees. 

"We still have ours," Sanga stated. She showed the machete and smaller knife, while Ashivon bared his teeth. The kit raised his claws and tried to snarl, but Hargens laughed. She crooned in Demon and the kit backed off. Sanga looked at the wordsmith curiously.

"He knows that he should stay out of the fight if it comes down to it," She explained. Volgen and Sanga shared a sharp look. Ashivon understood what Hargens said and placed his arm around the child.

"Safe," He declared.

Sanga smiled and pet the kid's almost non-existent hair, "Yes. Safe..."

Zairath shouldered his back, careful of his fur and headed to the door. Doc nodded to him as the demon turned around, "Alright team, head out!"

 


	12. Rhymes, riddles, and hidden meanings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanga sees an old friend, but whose side is the friend really on? And why's Jamison being so... nice?

Sanga and Ashivon stared at Zariath and Jamisons' backs as the two took up the front. Drooden and Hargens were taking up the tail and Doc was next to them. Ashivon held up the kit as the child slept a little more, and in return, Sanga held their food bags. Her eyes darted around, trying to find-

"Looking for me?" Volgen whispered in her ear. Sanga jumped, but the demoness laughed, "You humans are scared so easily!"

Hargens cried, "We do not!" Volgen looked over her shoulder to raise an eyebrow. The wordsmith pouted and Drooden laughed, patting her shoulder.

"Yeah, we kinda do. How was scouting?" The soldier agreed. 

She shrugged, looking forward again, "Half-Heart's about a quarter of a day away, you know that, but I didn't notice anything too weird. Zariath!" The commander turned, but didn't stop walking. Volgen's face returned to its usual frown, "There was some unusual animal activity about nine furlongs away, but I didn't want to get too far from the group. It could be Divinity, but it could also be a merchant caravan."

He nodded, "Noted. Keep an eye on it and if it gets within four, get to us immediately. We will try not to engage if possible." Volgen nodded and with a few long strides and a leap, she was back in the woods about out of sight. Zariath turned back around. Sanga blinked in amazement at the woods, but Ashivon looked troubled. His tail beat against the back of her leg every other step and it was hitting harder and harder. 

She took a faster pace to look at him properly. "Ashivon?" The nun asked gently. He blinked, startled, but didn't lash out. He quickly relaxed and cocked his head. She Sanga smiled, "You ok?"

He frowned again and looked to the trees, "No smell. Like..." He shifted the kit in his arms to signal a mask and motioned the Divinity symbol. Sanga tensed and nodded.

"The masked person..."

Doc looked over his shoulder, "What are you all yapping about?"

Sanga thought back on the day, "It was the day after we escaped that Divinity sent a team after us. They sent the Leader of the Light, three other members and a pack of tracking dogs. Ashivon scared away the dogs, but we had to deal with the others. The first three were dealt with, but the Leader of the Light... He'd say that he had the Goddess's true blessing-"

"Like Doc?" Hargens asked quickly. Sanga's eyes widened and she looked to the older man.

She swallowed, "Y-You're a true Priest?"

He sighed, "Yeah. Never knew until I healed someone and suddenly, my hands lit up brighter than ever before. She does listen, Sanga." As if to prove a point, his hands lit up, but his chest remained dim- his tattoo wasn't glowing. That wasn't him. A soft smile covered his face, but the glow went away and the look went with it. "I don't know how she feels about your situation, but I doubt whoever the 'Leader of the Light' guy was really was a Priest. He was probably just a lying idiot."

Sanga nodded, "Now that I've seen it... You're right."

"Anyway, the story?" Drooden asked. He was walking a little closer, but Hargens elbowed him to get him back at a slight distance. He fell back in line quickly.

She nodded, "Yeah, well, he was telling us how he couldn't allow us to live when someone in a mask with the Divinity symbol drawn on it killed him and said, 'The Goddess's true light be with you', before disappearing."

Ashivon nodded, "No smell, no sound. Gone."

Jamison spun around, but still trotted backwards, "That was likely the large resistance group Truth. They despise Divinity's violent tactics and have decried them several times."

Hargens snickered, "Thanks, Almanac." He sniffed and stuck his nose in the air.

"Well, sorry for knowing political groups," Jamison defended. Sanga nodded to him and for a split second, his eyes widened before he whirled back around.

A sudden rustle from the nearest trees caught their attention and Volgen came tumbling out of a tree, "Z-Zariath, i-it's Divinity, five furlongs away, but they have vervain."

Instantly, the entire group tensed. Everyone knew what vervain was. It was a special plant that was a deterrent for demons. Any skin contact would instantly result in burns and if ingested... Sanga shuddered to remember the century's old, 'heroic' tale of Kalic who tricked the executioner into eating some and resulted in their fiery death. To think it now... She got sick. She knew she showed Ashivon once and he seemed to remember it. Apparently, demons were shown from a young age what the herb did.

Zariath turned around to the others, "We need to split up. Hargens, meet us at the next town by sundown. Otherwise, we continue and you better be at the next meeting house within two days. Ashivon, get the kit. We're splitting off. Volgen, you know what to do." Ashivon's head swiveled to Sanga and her heart tightened. This was the first time the  _had_ to separate and it set her on edge. But she knew they didn't have an option.

She pulled off her waistband and tied it around his wrist, "Stay safe. I will see you soon." She passed the food bags over as well and ruffled the kit's hair.

Volgen began snarling to the kit, who tensed and began pointing to the town. Ashivon whimpered, not wanting to leave. Sanga stiffened, but pushed him towards Zariath, "Please, not safe! Go!" His face twisted and he turned to the others. 

"I'm coming with!" Jamison cried. Zariath gave him a look, but backed down quickly with a nod.

They left quickly and Hargens put a hand on Sanga's shoulder, "Hey, we'll meet up with them again soon-"

"We better, or I will find them by myself. Do we just wait for them to find us? Because they'll recognize my clothes," Sanga growled. Doc cursed and Hargens frowned. She tossed her personal pack down and pulled out a tan cloak.

"Put it on, we don't have much time. Do they know your face?" Hargens questioned. Her tone was hard again, reminding Sanga that she wasn't just a hairbrain, but a soldier as well. 

She nodded shakily, "I was raised there. Everyone knew me." This time, Drooden cursed and Hargens pursed her lips. She reached into the bottom of her bag and pulled out a mask. It wasn't unlike the one the savior a week ago wore, but it didn't have a symbol and was well-decorated. The light orange disguise had small flowers hand-painted on it, but Hargens threw it over the former nun's face. 

The soldier flung the cloak over Sanga, "Pull your sleeves down and don't say  _anything_.  _You are a mute who got burnt in a fire, understood_?" Her words seared into Sanga's mind and if it wasn't for the fact that she knew Hargens was a wordsmith, she'd be checking her skin for burns. 

Either way, she wordlessly nodded and worked the clasp for her sleeves down. With the mask covering her face and the cloak on, she looked like a clown, but it would save her life no doubt. 

The sound of hoofbeats behind them caught their attention and they slowed, "Ho, there! Have you heard, have you heard? Of our lost sister who was taken from our herd?" A low female voice called. Sanga stumbled, but Doc caught her.

"You know this person?" He whispered.

Sanga nodded, "My best friend, we've known each other since birth." Her voice was also low, but she didn't dare turn around. Pennyroyal had known her since they were toddlers. If anyone could recognize Sanga in this outfit, it was her.

They were doomed-

"'Fraid not, fraid not, good lot! Travel we may, but hearin's all nay!" Hargens replied. Her grin was large and she held out a hand, "Friend or foe, yes or no?"

Pennyroyal beamed, "Friend, oh friend! No fiends here, only looking for my sister, the lost dear!"

Hargens wasn't about to let up the game, even as Drooden was watching the exchange with interest, "Lost? At what cost?"

"Her life is the cost. Her betrayal covered my family's hearts with frost!" Pennyroyal sang, but her face was morphing into a glare.

The soldier narrowed her eyes, "Betrayal? What dismayal!"

"Indeed. In turn for a good deed, give her my heed," Sanga's old friend replied. Her eyes shifted over to Sanga. "What ails your friend? A smile in need of a mend?"

Hargens shook her head, "Not a smile, but a fire high as a mile. Burned at her face, destroyed everything in a pace."

"Goddess's light, what a fright! Well, if you say, we'll be on our way," Pennyroyal responded, looking down.

"If say you agree, we'll set you free. Free as a kite, am I right?" Hargens replied. Pennyroyal nodded and gave a look to the others before galloping off. Hargens grinned as they rode off, "Well, it's been a while since I had a nice rhyming exercise. Say, is your friend always like that?"

Sanga sighed, "Yeah. She likes to read a lot. She's on her way to becoming the master of the library."

Doc hummed, "That's nice and all, but is there any way she recognized you?"

"I don't think so-"

"Oh, she did. She just wanted Sanga to be careful," Hargens cut in. "'In turn for a good deed, give her my heed'? She appreciates us helping you, but she wants you to be careful."

Sanga swallowed, "Sounds like her..." She looked down and fiddled with her sleeves. Her friend was always talented and because she read, she was always picking up new talents. She knew which plants were which in the garden, she could sew with stitches no one had seen in decades, she knew recipes for everything...

A wrist knocked into her shoulder and she turned around, "Hey, don't go getting all sappy. We have places to be. Will they stay on our tale?"

Hargens shook her head, "I told them to go right, so they'll head away from town." Drooden nodded and Doc sighed.

"You wordsmiths and your riddles and rhymes, driving us all up the wall," He grumbled, taking up the lead.

Sanga stiffened, "Wait, Pennyroyal isn't a wordsmith, she couldn't be! Divinity checks for that when you first join."

Doc rolled his eyes, "Well, it's nice that Divinity's stigma promotes stupidity-

"Hey!" Sanga protested. She wasn't stupid!

Drooden nodded, "No, he's right. Wordsmiths only learn they're wordsmiths when they learn to properly talk. If she was as much of a bookworm as you said, it's possible she read what they were and learned to control it or hide it."

"And if they check when you join, a baby can't really speak yet, so she could have gotten through," Hargens finished with a smile. "It's nice to know that a fellow wordsmith was safe in that setting, even with the odds against them." Sanga hummed and looked to the town.

"A-Alright, but can we get back? I'm worried about Ashivon and the kit," She said. She pulled the mask off and cloak. Hargens took them back, folding the cloak before tucking it back in her bag.

The soldier nodded, "Alright. Also, the kit said his name was Tselah? He didn't want to give it out to untrustworthy people." Sanga perked up, but she began to hurry to the town.

"Tselah, huh?"

* * *

Ashivon was pulled into the woods by Zariath. The commander nodded to Volgen, who quickly climbed into a tree and took off. Ashivon whined, but Zariath turned around, "Look, we just need to make it to the town, alright? Hargens is going to divert them, but we need to move." Jamison nodded and held his hand out to Ashivon. The demon in question frowned and moved closer to Zariath.

"Hurry?" He asked.

Zariath nodded, "Let's go. Try to keep up, Sir." Jamison nodded and they began to run to the town. The way was covered in bushes, branches, and dead leaves, but the situation was familiar to Ashivon and the kit. He carried the child in his arms as he raced through the brush. Since the pads of their feet were smaller, the demons made less sound than Jamison. They also slowed down for him, but they still made good time. They made it to the town within fifteen minutes and Jamison had to take a breather. 

"Wait here. I'm going to meet up with our friend," Zariath stated before heading in. It was considerably more busy than the village from a week ago, sounds pouring in from horses, street vendors and kids laughing. All the sound began to get to Ashivon and he whined.

Jamison hummed, "Hey, calm down, alright? Nothing bad will happen, ok? We're safe. You're safe, Sanga's safe, you're good." He continued to mutter and Ashivon let himself focus on those words instead of the noise. It did help considerably, and he didn't jump when Zariath reappeared.

"It's time. Follow me," He said. He looked around for something but turned to a tree. He clawed at the bark gently and rubbed his hand over it a few times before walking into town. Ashivon wrinkled his nose at the smell, but walked past the tree.

He would only hope that Sanga would be alright.

 


	13. Forbidden Forgiveness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group is reunited... Wait, where?! Volgen gets angry at someone, Zariath has a funny nickname and things just go wrong in general.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I forgot to mention that between the move and packing everything at work (about 37 hours, kill me), there will be less of a chance to write this, but I will do my best! This story is a nice outlet. I have a question do you all want there to be angst (careful how to answer, I have a habit of killing off characters (I am not kidding, don't ask)) or do you want this to be slightly challenging?

Hargens led them closer into town, sticking close to the woods, when Volgen suddenly jumped out of the bushes. Her tail was lashing around and she kept rubbing her eyes. Sanga gave her a worried look, but the demoness hissed, "What are you looking at?" 

Drooden picked up his pace to be next to Volgen, "Any clue?"

"They're leaving, but the," She growled, gagging, "the stupid vervain is still in the air. Z-Zariath marked their place."

Doc sighed, "At least they made it to town. Hargens, you know where he is?"

She nodded, "Yep! Let's go!" Her pace was fast, but she had taken notice of Volgen's slower pace. Sanga knew Volgen wasn't going to accept her help unless she was almost violent about it, so she opened her food bag and pulled out her water canteen. She removed her waist band and soaked it before holding it out to Volgen.

"I don't need your help," She hissed.

Sanga frowned, "You're slowing us down. Just take it." She tossed it and Volgen was forced to grab it. She held it over her muzzle and managed a few breaths.

Drooden raised an eyebrow, "Have you been in a fire before?"

"Over the years, rebels would attempt to smoke the Divine out of the Sanctuary, but we used our headwraps dipped in water to get through it," Sanga explained. Volgen looked sickened, but she couldn't put up with the stench of vervain again.

Doc hummed, "Enough with your yammering, we're here. Rayshal, lead the way."

Hargens wrinkled her nose, "Don't use my first name, Harrison." Doc's jaw clenched shut and Drooden laughed quietly. Hargens pouted at her friend, but turned to lead them to... wherever.

The town was busy, much busier than the town. Street vendors yelled at the top of their lungs about their wares, children ran through the streets, and a spare demon or two towered over the rest of the population. They tried to keep their heads down, but their horns were rather obvious. No one was giving them any trouble and suddenly Sanga began to realize just how... weird Divinity was. 

Hargens kept an eye out for something, but a little girl came running over, "Rae! Rae!" The soldier's face lit up and she knelt to pick up the girl.

"Jae!" She picked her up and swung her around. Sanga frowned in confusion until she slowly pieced it together. Matching skin, same black hair, same dimples? 

"I didn't know we were coming to your family's," Sanga said. The little girl's eyes latched onto her and grinned.

"Wow, you're pretty!" 'Jae' chirped. Sanga smiled.

Drooden grinned, walking over, ruffling her hair, "Hey, kiddo, miss me?" She stuck her tongue out and Volgen laughed. "Shut up, Volgen." Hargens rolled her eyes and began to prance home, her little sister still in her arms. Doc merely sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Volgen took her chance to returned Sanga's waistband. The demoness nodded, nearly invisible, but Sanga repeated the action. She knew that Volgen was prideful and still didn't like her, but if she was making some kind of progress, that was good, right? 

Hargens led them to the other side of town, to a two-story house that likely held a large family. Stopping a few doors down, the wordsmith put her sister down, "Jasmine, go tell Zeze that we're here and going in the back, ok?" Jayla nodded and raced off. Sanga raised an eyebrow. Was Zeze... Zariath? It... was possible...? Hargens turned back to them and sighed, "Alright, we're going to book it, so get ready? I don't need my neighbors realizing I'm back with everyone, so quicker than a caffine-strung-rabbit, got it?" Drooden chuckled and Volgen bounced on her back paws.

"Shoot it, wordie," The demoness smirked. Hargens returned it before booking it to the house. Volgen, Drooden and Sanga followed her, but Doc sighed.

"Kids these days," He chuckled, following them slowly.  Sanga was pulled into the house by a laughing Hargens and Drooden, but she was quickly tackled by two bodies. 

Ashivon all but pinned her to the wall in a hug and the kit was jumping around them, chirping in worry and excitement. She took a deep breath as she was pulled into his chest, and realized that the time, which was in reality was likely two hours, felt more like days. Her hands reached around and clutched at him-

"Goddess, you two have separation issues," Volgen snarked. Ashivon turned to her and snarled. Her ears pinned back and a short woman emerged from a door. She had on a robe-like dress, but it curled around the thin woman loosely. 

She was obviously Hargens' mother, but her eyes were a cold grey, "In my house, there will be no fighting little mouse." her eyes were focused on Volgen, who backed down. 

"Sorry, Camille," She said. Sanga wondered if Camille was-

"Indeed I am, mixing words as I can," The elder quipped, looking at Sanga. The nun stiffened and Ashivon wrapped his arms around her tighter. "This one has been fretting, my words he's not been getting," She tutted, before scuttling away. She almost ran into Zariath, but he lifted his arm for her to pass under.

"You all made it safely," He stated. His eyes landed on Ashivon, who still had Sanga pinned to the wall. He raised his hands, "We're safe. You'll not be separated here." Ashivon narrowed his eyes, but relaxed more. Sanga could finally see more of the living room.

It was a quaint room, with a full blue couch set, a black coffee table, and paintings all over the walls. If she squinted, she swore she could see kids' drawing on the wall. The light blue walls complimented the rest of the room and Sanga suddenly felt much more comfortable. Drooden stopped next to them and smiled, "Welcome to House Hargens, the most comforting place you'll ever find. Everyone in this house are wordsmiths." Sanga nodded and leaned more onto Ashivon. His tail wrapped all the way down her leg, almost keeping her anchored to him.

Doc finally decided to walk in the back and his shoulders slumped as he took in the atmosphere, "It's still as supernatural in here as the last time we came here."

Hargens laughed, "Shut up, Doc. We're only staying here for a few hours, then heading out again. Right?" She faced Zariath. He nodded and walked more into the room.

"Volgen, if you can let us know when they are more than sixteen furlongs away, we will proceed," He commanded.

The demoness's tail lashed, "Sir, the vervain-"

Zariath nodded, "I understand, but you're more than allowed to follow at any distance and use anything you can." Volgen's ears pinned back again, but Camille came back. She held a rolled-up paper and smacked Zariath on the shoulder- the highest place she could reach.

"What is wrong with you?! Sending a demon after vervain with a target or two!" She was cut off by Ashivon's snarl. Sanga tensed, still in his arms, knowing he was going through another episode. 

Camille's eyes cut over to them and realized what the problem was. "You. You two are the Divinity escapees. You two and the kit." Ashivon's fangs were bared ever more and Sanga knew she couldn't move, lest she become a target again. The elder lowered herself to place the paper down on the ground, "Raerae, Jayjay, I need you to calm him down. Harrison, get the others out of the house."

"Mom, I-" Hargens whimpered. Camille's eyes cut into her daughter, and the soldier took a deep breath, "Get Jay out of here, I got this. You need to be ready-"

"I will handle it if it comes down to it, now calm down the executioner!" Camille snarled. 

Sanga's breathing stopped.

** No one knew **

"What?"

** that the demon **

She swore her world began to slow.

** was called **

She could hear Ashivon's breath hitch.

** executioner unless **

She could feel her heart stop.

** they were **

She could see the faint tattoo, barely peeking out of Camille's shirt.

** Divinity. **

Camile was a Divine.

Volgen seemed to pick up on it too and she roared. Hargens lifted her hand, "Volgen, Mom, no-"

The demoness didn't care as she pounced on Camille and forced her to the ground, "Silence! There is no executioner, only the tortured-" 

A glowing white staff knocked Volgen off and away on the floor. Her feet scrapped on the tiles, her claws screeching in everyone's ears. Sanga looked around in panic, noticing that she, Ashivon, Volgen, Hargens, and Camille were the only ones left in the room. Everyone else had vacated. 

Camille stood slowly and brandished her staff, "The Goddess-"

Sanga's eyes widened and her muscles began to pull her away from Ashivon. He did not lash out, but his attention was somewhere else. "The Goddess curse you down." She then breathed a word she never would have hoped to mutter.

"Murderer"

"I am no murderer," Camille stated, turning to face Sanga. Her face was calm and the staff disappeared. "I left Divinity and I learned everything I knew was wrong, except two things: The Executioner is an executioner and you never truly leave Divinity." Her eyes looked to Ashivon, "You are Ashivon, executioner and protector. You are free." Her eyes burned and Ashivon began to calm down. His tail was completely still, but his shoulders were relaxed. "Your family needs you," Camille continued.

Ashivon's eyes trailed over to Sanga. She was still nervous, but she smiled anyway. He crooned quietly and she took it as a sign to approach him. As her hand reached up, the demon purred and pushed his head into it. Sanga relaxed more and began to muss up his hair, his purrs growing ever louder. Camille sighed in relief. "Good. Now... Open your eyes for me and understand what happened ok? You had a mild freak out, but everyone's safe, everyone's fine."

Ashivon's eyes slowly opened and he caught sight of Sanga, smiling at him anxiously as she reached up to run her fingers through his hair. "Sanga?"

"Hey, Ashivon. You're ok, we're safe, everything is safe," She soothed, looked him in the eye. He nodded and closed his eyes again. His head drifted down and their foreheads connected. They sighed in unison, breathed in unison, hearts beat in unison-

"You were  _Divine_ ," Volgen hissed, crouched. The two escapees' eyes widened again as they faced the enraged demoness. Camille nodded.

"Indeed, I was, but for the good cause. The old King had asked, and I served by which I had been tasked," She said, slipping back into rhymes. Hargens got between them.

Her hands were raised, but her arm tattoos glowed blue faintly, ready to raise one of her shields, "Don't fight, Mom. Volgen, she had to go undercover. She tried to help your brother as much as she could-"

"He was  _murdered_!" Volgen cried, her claws digging into the wood. Tears streamed down her face, "She doesn't get the right to say that! He never-"

The elder smiled, "He said he forgives you. He always forgave you, Follower." Volgen's face fell and she fell completely on her arms. 

"You don't- he actually- by the Goddess-" Volgen sobbed openly and Ashivon whimpered in pity. No one moved as the woman mourned the loss of her brother and the understanding of his forgiveness.

The others came in slowly, with Zariath and the kit arriving first. The commander took one look at his weeping subordinate and pulled her into his arms. She sobbed and curled into him. The kit came over, nuzzling her very gently. Drooden came in next, sitting next to Zariath on the floor and rubbing her back gently. Her blue uniform shirt was wrinkling under his hand, but a few designs peeked out from the edges. Doc came in next, a leaf held in his hand. He brought it to his mouth and... began to play it? The tune was high pitched, but it was soothing. 

 After a few moments, Jayla arrived and sat in Drooden's lap so she could braid Volgen's long hair, "You're really pretty, you know that, Volly? I wish my hair could grow as long as yours..." She continued to chatter, filling the empty space the leaf whistle couldn't provide. Camille walked over to Sanga.

"It's been a great many years since I saw you, little one. I knew you would be fearing little to none," She mused.

Sanga's eyes widened, "You knew me as a baby?" A thought popped into her head and she bit into her lip. Camille laughed and cupped the younger's face.

"Little sun, your mother loved you more than anyone. Your father was someone she feared, so much so, she couldn't face it as your birth neared."

The former nun deflated, "My mother killed my father before she had me?" Camille nodded sadly, but she brought her closer to place a gently kiss on the younger's forehead.

"Met her as well and I have one more message to tell. Your mother loved you deeply and nothing more mattered to her, no matter how weakly."

Sanga nodded and a few tears slipped down her face, "Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you..." It became all but a prayer and Ashivon's tail wrapped around her ankle. He knew she needed support and this person could give her some kind of support he couldn't. He hated he couldn't do that, but he wanted her to know she was still there.

Jamison emerged from the room Zariath had first come out off. He paused, looking around. "My Goddess, what happened here? It's such a racket!" He huffed and reached into his pocket and pulled out a pocket handkerchief. The noble walked over to Volgen, "Clean yourself up, you are a member of the Perseus patrol!" He tossed his handkerchief at her, and walked over to Sanga. "Same to you, what would Divinity say to the child they raised, crying like a baby!" He pulled another tissue out of another pocket and threw it at her as well, "You're all going to ruin your clothes and I'm not letting my cousin-in-law see you all looking like Bellerophon Patrol!"

He left the room as quickly as he arrived and Volgen sneered at him, "What a jerk. He has no right." She wiped her eyes regardless and snarled, "We are not Bellerophon patrol, how dare he even compare us to those rats. I'm going to stuff his rag down his throat and gut him until I see it again-"

Doc flicked her forehead, "There are children present." It didn't matter as Jayla was not chasing Tselah's tail as he ran around. He could clearly outrun her, but he was humoring her.

Ashivon was watching them closely, but he still kept an eye on Sanga. When she pulled herself away from Camille, the elder trotted off into the room, muttering about rude human tornadoes who leave only anger. He chuckled quietly and his head lowered until his chin rested on Sanga's shoulder. She tensed, but quickly relaxed, "Hey, Ashivon." Her hand reached up and scratched him behind the ears, prompting a purr.

Drooden slowly stood, "I hate to bring this up, but we should probably be moving, regardless of the Divine at this point. If someone heard all the racket and told them, all the waiting would have been for nothing."

"He's right. Everyone, gather your things. I want to get out of Half-Heart in five minutes and at the river by sundown. If we can cross it first thing tomorrow, we'll be on schedule," Zariath stated. The others jumped to attention and Jayla went to get Jamison out of the room. They emerged later and she was fuming. Hargens raised an eyebrow, but Jayla just stomped on Jamison's foot.

"Young lady!" He yelled after her, "I was merely-"

Hargens huffed, "She's weird, but don't say anything to her. She'll take it the wrong way." 

"Evidently," He snarked, but joined the group. Just like earlier, the group departed quickly, but this time, the air around Volgen was lighter. Sanga knew Volgen didn't trust her, but maybe she'd share what her brother was forgiving her for one day. But just not today.

Before she could get too deep in her thoughts, Ashivon was beginning to talk. He was rambling in broken Common, but it was obvious he was trying to practice and break Sanga out of her thoughts. She smiled. He may be the executioner, but Camille was right. He was also protector.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, in case I never mentioned it, 8 furlongs=1 mile or about 200 meters.  
> Volgen, I just learned from google translate, means 'to follow'.  
> There's a lot of symbolism in this, who knew?


	14. Lifting the Cloud

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More worldbuilding, True Priests are talked about, and Sanga and Ashivon have a small wrestling match

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not do action scenes well, so I'm sorry

The day seemed to drag on since they left. The sun bore down on them and the wind offered no help. Zariath refused to let them stop to eat, so they munched on their rations as they moved. Tselah, who had now shared his name with everyone, feeling more open with them, was racing head, bounding on small creatures on the dirt. Drooden was keeping an eye on him, even has he spared glances to Hargens.

For once, the young woman was completely silent, walking in what seemed to be shame. Volgen refused to look at her. Sanga could understand why, but... she had treated Hargens as a good friend. This should not have impacted them this much. Sanga sighed and looked to Ashivon.

His fists were closed tight and he seemed to be struggling with some internal conflict. She reached her hand out to cover his, but she hesitated. She didn't want to start another fight after they just dealt with one, but... Sanga straightened with her resolve. She wasn't going to let this bother Ashivon, not when he would comfort her when she needed it. Her hand brushed his to start, to let him know she was there. His breath hitched, but his eyes flicked over- He knew. With a more relaxed mindset, she grabbed his hand gently and left it there. He chuckled in amusement, but he purred lightly.

Doc trailed behind everyone and he seemed to be evaluting the group. He sighed, "Hey, anyone got any stories? If you sorry suds are going to mope, we might as well do it to a good story." His eyes were focused on Hargens, but she didn't look up. The mood on the group didn't seem to lift and the kit finally turned. His eyes focused on Hargens and he bounded over. Hargens stopped as he did. His head cocked and he seemed to think something over. He raised his hands and play-growled. Hargens tensed before taking a step back and began running. She moved so they were heading to the front of the group, then ahead. Gentle laughs came out of Hargens as she played chase with the kit. 

"Now that  _that_ particular cloud is gone, does anyone want to tell a story? I wasn't kidding," Doc complained. His teeth gnawed on a stick from out of nowhere. His eyes settled on Sanga and Ashivon, "Oi, you two. How is it that Ashivon can fight with practiced moves?"

Ashivon visibly perked up and he turned to Sanga, "Train?" She smiled gently, knowing now he was genuinely interested in fighting and not just because of his circumstance. "Sanga? Can we train?"

"Let's go to the front," Sanga said, moving forward. The movement caught everyone's attention, but they let them pass. They took a deep breath and slowly, they joined into their training mindset. Their legs had been stretched with the plenty of walking and it started with Sanga.

She moved her foot back and Ashivon followed less than a split second later. They had a rotating kick, their legs centered towards each other, but never touching. There was another flying kick focused on the outside. A chain of punches were launched forward, but it became startlingly clear to the others what their complete synchronization meant.

"How many years have those two trained together?" Hargens breathed. Zariath shook his head, still watching the spectacle. The two still seemed to flow like water, two parallel streams flowing at the same rate, from the same source, and to some unknown end, whether it be the same or different outlets. 

They both finished, rising out of a sweep of the leg. They panted and Sanga chuckled. Ashivon grinned and he let out a short whoop. Sanga laughed more stumbling over to shove him a little. His eyes narrowed playfully and he lunged at her. She squealed, trying to push him away, but he held her too tight. Her laughs prompted some of his own. They continued to wrestle in the dirt. The others paused, looking at them with amused looks. 

Volgen looked to Zariath, "Ten Farthings that he lets her win."

"I'm not that childish," He stated, focusing forward. His tail lashed side-to-side, showing he really did want to participate. 

"I'll take those odds," Drooden stated. He knew that Ashivon was too playful and would likely accidentally win. Volgen was going down.

Sanga heard them, but she didn't care. She was having fun and so was Ashivon. She hooked her foot around his... ankle? Knee? and spun them so she had him pinned. He purred loudly, but his grin suggested he wasn't going to stay pinned. He used his larger size to roll them over. His purrs quieted slightly, content. He watched in confusion as Sanga's face grew a blush quickly. He blinked in confusion until he realized just how close they were.

Volgen rolled her eyes as she walked over, "Alright, lovebirds, that's enough. Get up." She planted her foot on Ashivon's side and pushed him off. He grumbled but got up. Sanga pulled herself to her feet and bumped into his side. Ashivon narrowed his eyes again, but Doc sighed.

"Volgen is right, you two need to knock it off, a'ight? Now, that was really something. Got a story behind it?" He asked.

Sanga and Ashivon shared a look, but he shook his head. Sanga nodded and looked to him, "It's private. Is there a story behind 'True Priests?'"

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Now you've done it." The former nun raised an eyebrow, but Doc just pointed to the front: past Volgen, past Hargens and the kit, past Drooden, past Zariath, and at a very starry-eyed Jamison. " _He_ knows every myth and legend of almost any kingdom, demon, human or otherwise, and knows them better than any of us.'

"Well excuse me for being well read!" The noble protested, pounding a fist to his chest. "Now, the story of True Priests does not have a set starting point, they are as old as the markings themselves. No one quite knows how the tattoos got started, but they just showed up in people's skin years and years and years ago. I've spoken to some of the kingdoms' scholars and they believe that the images we have created from the three graces were devised by the graces themselves, guided by the True Priests. We also believe that some people are more in touch with their individual grace. You see, even though people have the marking of all three graces, they do have a favorite between them. Hargens prefers the Exiled, Drooden actually prefers the God-"

"Wait, what?" Sanga cried. She faced the mellow member, " _You_ support the God?"

His eyes narrowed, "Is there something wrong with that?" Unbeknownst to her, the rest of the Fenrians were tense, ready to stand up for their comrade should Sanga berate him.

She quickly realized her mistake, however, "No, I just never expected you to support death and inevability..."

He shrugged, "Death can arrive at any moment. The more you go with the flow, the less struggle you'll have when you get to the end of the river."

"But... You can't be willing to give up so easily," Sanga tried. Everything she had learned, and some things she still did believe in- that the Goddess gave you the ability to create your own fate, to veer the course of your river- was being called down by that statement.

Drooden shrugged, "I say go with the flow, not let yourself drown." 

Hargens stepped forward, frowning at the both of them, "Hey, we're all friends here, right? We each support our own respective grace for different reasons and we will respect that. Sanga, I know you grew up believing in only one grace, but you have to see it from our point of view: we identify with a respective grace. I have some friends who identify with the Exiled solely because the Exiled has no gender and they feel that grace's protection more than with the Goddess or God. I have other friends who identify with the God because they've lost so much, they can only hope that he's giving them a good afterlife. I have some who do believe in the Goddess because they believe in their own ability and trust her to give them more if they come up short. Heavens above, I know some who support none of them at all! So please, respect their wishes and we'll respect yours!" The woman begged. She had come closer to Sanga and grasped her hands. Her dark eyes were pleading, begging for Sanga to drop the issue.

The former nun's head dropped, "I... I'm sorry. I never-"

Drooden raised his hand, "It's fine, just... keep your opinions to yourself or adapt?" Sanga nodded and he smiled, "Good. Sir Jamison, if you may?" His mocking tone seemed to be lost on the noble.

The blonde raised his head, "As I was saying, most people have preferences, and it goes the same with them. There is no consensus as to who they choose, or why. These kinds of things rarely run in bloodlines, I have yet to see any point in any True Priests' bloodline that it overlaps with another's, other than on a few occasions. They're all from different locations with no environmental similarities, and it has driven me and the scholars mad!" He twisted his hands together, looking rather... distressed.

"Is there a reason?" Sanga asked.

He paused, "Well... A few have tried to find out why, and they began to list off words, hoping for some kind of response." He swallowed and took a shaky breath.

Sanga gulped, wondering if he was pulling her leg or if this was some kind of ghost story, "And?"

Jamison looked up, "'Do not question those who hold your life.' It was some kind of threat, apparently."

Doc frowned, "Now that's a load of bull and you know it. Yeah, we're little pests sometimes, but it's a warning not to go digging into something too deeply, not when you don't want to know the answers." His forearms glowed brightly after this statement, the rings shining brighter than Sanga's own had shone. "See? The Goddess backs me up."

"You don't even have a tattoo, Jamison," Volgen snarked, baring her teeth. Jamison bowed his head and Zariath put himself between the blonde and the demoness.

"Volgen, uncalled for," He scolded. Her ears pinned back, but she fell to the back of the group. The commander sighed in exasperation before putting his hand on Jamison's shoulder.

Sanga looked at Hargens, "He doesn't have one?"

Drooden shook his head, "Royalty aren't allowed to have them. It's a sign of separation from the will of the graces. You'll act in the will of the people, not the graces, and all that."

"Yeah, Fenry's history with graced royalty isn't too pretty," Hargens grimaced. Sanga decided to ask for another time. 

With the heavy cloud from earlier lifted, even if just a little, the rest of the day passed smoothly. They paused for a bathroom break, a water canteen refill at a creek along the way, and pressed on to dinner. 


	15. Anger three times over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanga still has habits she needs to break and she realizes just own much Divinity has affected her and Ashivon's lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who accidentally deleted some of their work again?

Tselah raced forward, chittering happily as he followed Volgen out to a clearing she had found. The others trailed behind, but they were racing each other. Zariath warned them not to go too far and they heeded the warning. Ashivon looked like he had wanted to join in, but he noticed how the kit was clinging to the demoness and decided to hold back. He walked next to Sanga and wrapped his tail around her wrist as they walked. She didn't acknowledge it past not swinging her arm so much as to not displace the appendage. 

The group had decided to stop for the rest of the night and settling down for the night. Everyone broke away in the clearing to do their own thing. Hargens and Drooden began to clear a space for a fire, making sure nothing would catch fire unless intended to. Jamison complained quietly, going to rest against a tree. He eventually pulled out a small notebook and began to write something down. Doc joined him, but said nothing as he leaned on the same tree. Zariath and Volgen broke off to discuss some plans. Volgen smiled as they broke away, flicking her tail at Tselah. He pouted but went to join Sanga and Ashivon.

The two in question were sitting on the edges of the area. They were watching awkwardly, not sure what to do, but Sanga was watching the sky. The sky was turning a dark red, but it wasn't threatening. Well, it was a little bit, but it reminded Sanga of a very early memory. The Divine had been going into the countryside and there had been fields and fields of red clover, and it looked just like this-

A weight landed in her land and she yelped, looking down. Tselah grinned at her, curling in her lap. She chuckled and ran her fingers through his fur, "Hello there, little angel. Ready to sleep?" He whined quietly, burying his face in her side. She laughed again and rearranged him. He was in the center of her crisscrossed legs,and she leaned over him so he would be almost completely covered if Sanga willed it. Ashivon chittered happily and leaned on her slowly. He didn't want to scare her again. She looked at him and smiled, "Getting sleepy, Ashivon?"

"No," He said, but a yawn escaped him. Sanga laughed but leaned back on him.

Drooden got the fire started and the others began to lie out their bedrolls. Sanga paused, but pulled out the quilt. Hargens paused, "You didn't pack one?"

Sanga sighed, "We weren't given one and didn't think to ask. We'll be fine. We've dealt with worse." She laid down the blanket and sat down. The kit sat in to her side instantly and Ashivon joined her on the other side. They pulled out their food and Sanga closed her eyes to pray. ' _May the Goddess hold our light tight so we may further explore against the God and Dem_ -' She paused and clenched her fists. Ashivon crooned gently, knowing what was coming next, but she shook her head. "I'm fine, I'm going for a walk," She growled.

With a long sigh, Ashivon watched her leave. He never knew what quite set her off, but none of the others appeared to either. Volgen stood anyway, "Hey, you can't just go wandering off-"

"I'm not going far," Sanga snarled, not even turning around. 

Volgen opened her mouth again, but Ashivon looked up, "Let Sanga leave. She come back." His eyes pleaded with her and she bared her teeth before backing down.

"Fine, but if she isn't back in ten minutes, I'm going to find her," The demoness huffed. She sat back down, shoving a piece of dried meat into her mouth.

* * *

Sanga marched a short distance away. She could still see the light of the campfire if she squint, and she knew if she called, one of the demons  _One of the demons will find you_ \- She shook her head  _And they will gobble you up like they do with naughty children~!_ A caremother's voice warned. Sanga growled to herself, "Leave me alone! They're not evil!"

 _Demons will destroy everything you love-_ "Well what if I fell in love with one, huh?" She cried. A crack of a twig echoed around her and she pulled out her machete. She knew she should call out. If it was a demon, they'd-  _They'd find you- **SHUTUP**_ \- But if it was a member of the Divine, if she called out, she'd be by herself.She went behind a bush as quietly as she could and wait.

"Where were they?!" A man's voice snarled.

"I swear you, I know not too!" A very familiar voice begged.

The first voice scoffed, "Enough with your riddles,  _wordsmith_." Four figures entered her sight and Sanga gasped. Pennyroyal was being dragged behind two men and one woman. She was beaten bloody and she had two shapes burned into her chest over her Divinity tattoo. A long rectangle and a circle overlapped each other and each held its own meaning.  _Wordsmith. Traitor._ Pennyroyal had been found out.

"Please, I beg you, stop beating me black and blue!" She sobbed, clawing at the chain and collar around her neck. The man holding it scoffed and yanked on it again. "Carl, please!"

"Shut up, traitor!" He shouted. He raised his hand and slapped her across her face. Sanga knew she had to do something. They couldn't find the others and she wouldn't dare let them find the kit- "I can only imagine how much terror is going to be on Sanga's face as she's forced to face down that tainted demon. He's going to have to murder her or they're going to murder the kid instead."

Her breath caught in her throat. Her vision turned red. She wouldn't allow that. She couldn't. Her hand gripped her machete and-

A furless tail brushed against hers and it took all she had to not cry out. Volgen stared at her from two feet away and raised a finger to her lips. She raised her other hand to show a thin blade. Her head got closer so her lips brushed Sanga's ear. Even with her strained hearing, she almost didn't hear the demoness. "Distract them and trust me." She backed away, waiting for acknowledgement. Sanga stared in horror and nodded shakily. Volgen nodded back and slunk into the darkness.

Sanga backed up to make it seem like she was just walking through. She moved so that even if they got past her, they wouldn't head in the direction she had come from. She wasn't going to risk them finding Ashivon and Tselah. Not in a million years. She began muttering to herself and walking through, "Stupid Fenrians, stupid queen, stupid stupidstupid-"

"Sanga, run!" Pennyroyal screamed, hearing her friend's words. Sanga gasped and drew her machete. "No-"

"Shut up, traitor!" The woman shouted, summoning her staff and striking Pennyroyal across the back. A loud crack echoed around the small glenn. The nun cried out and fell. She would likely not be getting up again. 

Sanga screamed and charged the woman, " _MURDERER!"_ The woman screamed back and they met halfway. Staff met machete. Furious sorrow met angry offense. Sanga pushed back with such a fury that she had only known one other night in her life. Sanga drew her four-inch blade in her other hand and she realized one error the Goddess held within ability. They couldn't wield two of her gifts at once. Sanga's face turned from a twisted frown to a cruel smirk. She would get her payback. She slashed and swiped, attacking relentlessly. 

She made a mistake.

It wasn't the fact she trusted Volgen.

It was the fact that she forgot about the other two.

Volgen did her best, she really did.

She took down the first without a problem.

The second had noticed and lashed out a whip.

She had been struck down and he had pulled out a knife, coated in vervain.

She had to watch as he walked towards her and-

"ZARIATH!"

An enraged roar echoed for miles. A large mass entered the area and the fighters stopped what they were doing. Volgen looked at the berserker demon and froze. That wasn't Zariath. That was Ashivon and he looked to be in a state of mind she had heard of and only truly seen once. He was in berserker mode and he wasn't going to stop until he was sated. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it was short, but I wanted to get this out. I don't know when I'll get the next chapter out. Thanks for the help and I might have to go fix some stuff later because Toasty's thinking of switching some stuff, but I'll leave it as it is now. See you all later!


	16. Berserker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Volgen sees the horror that is Ashivon’s berserker state. Doc feels guilty and Jamison is the bad guy again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when I said that I had a habit of killing off characters? That usually comes with violence. Graphic? Kinda graphic? Idk, write this on my phone at work. Sorry if it’s short

Sanga couldn’t breathe. That’s all she knew. That, and Ashivon was in a state that was usually induced by Divinity. As a testimony to this, his arm wraps were off. But who-

Her mind slowly tried to click it together.  _Ashivon_ did it. He let himself be put into this state, it’s the only way, unless- 

Ashivon roared again and practically flew at the two remaining Divine. The man summoned his staff to try and strike down the demon, but Ashivon grabbed it. Smoke rose from his hand as he pulled the wielded towards him. The priest whimpered and tried to run, but the demon wasn’t having it. He pounced towards them and landed on their right ankle. With an audible crack, it snapped under Ashivon’s weight. He sunk his claws into the man’s back and just began to slash. Skin, muscle, bone, nothing was safe. It only took a few seconds for the man to stop screaming, but it would take several days before the blood would wash out of the surrounding grass. 

He stood slowly and turned to the nun and Sanga. Her opponent was frozen, tears streaming down her face. She wept silently because she knew, she  _knew_ there was no getting away from a berserking demon. She knew because that’s how Divinity trained him. The woman summoned her staff. She was not ready to attack, but merely defend and hope that someone would snap him out of it.

No such luck.

Ashivon lowered into his haunches and pounced. Once again, a staff was swiped in his direction, but it landed home this time. He was pushed back by the force of it and landed on his side.

”Ashivon-“ Sanga cried. She took a step towards him, but the nun caught the motion. She sung her staff in her direction and Sanga was too shellshocked to dodge. It caught her in the face, right over the previous bruise that still covered her cheek. Sanga cried out and fell back.

Another roar shook Sanga as Ashivon  _leaped over the other nun._ He crouched over her and shielded her protectively as the final Divine fell back in shock. He left Sanga to pin her instead and bellowed in her face. His fangs dig into her neck and he pulled back sharply. It was not a fast death. Blood gushed out of her neck as she gasped for air she couldn’t get. 

Ashivon spit out the skin and looked back around. Volgen was shaking, trying to make herself look as nonthreatening as possible. He stalked towards her anyway. Volgen’s eyes flickered between Sanga and Ashivon, looking at the human pleadingly. 

“Ashivon! No, she’s a friend!” Sanga called. She approached from the side, trying to make her presence as known as she could. She didn’t want to get attacked. This wasn’t so much Ashivon as it was the Executioner. He turned his head to follow her movements, growling as Sanga got in front of Volgen. “We’re safe, Ashivon. We’re safe.” 

His growls continued as Sanga decided to take a risk. She knew that he knew it was her, that she was someone to be protected in some manner, so she wouldn’t get hurt this time. “Hey, Ashivon, it’s me, Sanga. You’re safe, you’re not at the Sanctuary...” As she spoke, her hand slowly reached for his. His eyes, his beautiful scarlet-orange eyes, trailed her every move. 

His snarling grew louder even more as she grabbed his wrist bringing it between them. She traced the diamond, all the time whispering, “We’re safe, Ashivon, I promise. Please come back, ok? We’re safe...” Slowly, oh so slowly, his growls eased away into purrs and his muscles relaxed. 

His tail began to sway side to side, “Sanga, are you ok?”

She smiled tearfully, “Yeah, Ash. I’m fine.” Ashivon began to look around, but she cupped his still bloody cheek, “It’s fine, Ashivon. Let’s get back to the others, ok?” He nodded happily and began to bound off in front of her. Sanga turned around to see Volgen still sitting there, staring at them in an unreadable expression. She would join back with the group after an hour. No one questioned it.

No one  _wanted_ to question it.

 

Sanga wiped him off carefully, gentle not to trigger him again as he watched her. He knew what he did, but he didn’t hate what he did. He was keeping Sanga and Tselah safe, right. 

Zariath pulled Volgen off to the side when she returned. She was quietly, jumpy, and he seemed to understand. He pulled her in for a hug and was purring quietly. It took a little while for her to ease into it completely, but she eventually calmed down. 

Sanga looked around at the others. Hargens and Drooden was talking happily, perhaps trying to ease the tense atmosphere. Jamison looked scared, but it was Doc who looked the most regretful. While he did usually bitter about everything, he was looking down, rubbing his hands together.

She rewrapped Ashivon’s arms, her hands tracing his mark one final time before it was covered once more. She looked to Doc, “He asked you, didn’t he?”

”He had this look, I can’t describe it, but... He... I couldn’t- I-“

Sanga nodded, “It’s fine, Doc. It’s fine.”

He shook his head, “I’m supposed to heal, not set people up to be killed-“

She frowned and got up. The kit, who had been cuddling between her and Ashivon, whined at the loss of heat. She walked over to him and kneeled, “Doctor, you didn’t. You were saving your friends. It would have been us or them and one party wasn’t going to get out alive. Would you have wanted us to be found and slaughtered in our sleep?”

He swallowed, “Did they even have a chance?” Sanga’s silence was enough of an answer and he ran his hand through his hair, “Curse it all.” 

“We’re alive, Doc,” Drooden said. “It was us or them, and we wouldn’t have seen it coming. We would have been asleep.”

”He’s right. We need to make it back to my sister-in-law before they find us,” Jamison reaffirmed. His notebook was out again and he was writing quickly. He dogearred a page before closing it and looking up. “I’ve met their leaders, Gulerod. They would have chosen a new executioner and had us fight them. They would still be a kit and it would be the same situation: us or them. This was the best way.”

Doc blinked, “I hate it when you speak, Sir.”

Jamison huffed, “Well, my number one hater strikes again-“

”They were killed, Sir. How can you joke like that?” Sanga growled. Ashivon hummed in confusion and rising agitation. She forced herself to calm, just in case.

He sighed, “Because, I have seen wars. If we sympathize with the enemy, it makes us vulnerable to attack. If we feel guilty, we can’t move on. If we joke about it, it acknowledges it happened without the mood getting too dark. Hargens isn’t doing anything and as my place as-“

”You’re  _nothing_ ,” Volgen spit. “He was on a rampage and he was almost going to kill me. Would you have been making jokes then?” Jamison said nothing and she huffed, “That’s what I thought.”

”Volgen,” Zariath hissed. “What have I told you?” His tail was lashing from side to side and the demoness picked up on his anger.

She shrunk, “Sorry, Sir.”

Zariath frowned, “Not to me.” Volgen looked behind her to Jamison. He was watching her with his sharp blue eyes, waiting for something. She bared her teeth and he nodded.

”Thank you, Volgen.”

She huffed and went to sit next to Hargens. The human wasted no time in burying her fingers in Volgen’s scalp, grooming her hair. Her tail still flicked violently. Sanga took this chance to return to Tselah and Ashivon. They welcomed her back and cuddled around her. She would be warm and they would be safe for the rest of the night.


	17. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A more official 'meet the characters'. This takes over the course of a day and can be technically be done as a filler.

Sanga woke up as she usually did. Tselah was sleeping on her side, his head buried in her stomach, and Ashivon was curled around her, his tail wrapped tightly around her ankle. But whispers were around them and she peeked an eye open. Volgen, Doc, and Drooden were talking, munching on their morning tack and jerky. Volgen's eyes locked onto Sanga and she nodded, "I know you're up, Sanga."

"I don't want to wake them," She responded quietly. Ashivon shifted under her and she grimaced. Her hand reached up and began to pet his hair. He settled again, purring quietly. 

Drooden chuckled, "He really does trust you, doesn't he?"

"I hope so," Sanga whispered, thinking on the past week and a half. She knew he had known her for years, he had trusted her for years, but he was still learning to trust her on a deeper level. She wondered if his tail was always on her because he didn't want to get separated from her. She sighed and rested her cheek on his shoulder again. Hissing quietly, she realized her bruises from her fights hadn't healed yet.

Doc noticed and winced, "Sorry, shoulda noticed that sooner." He heaved himself up and walked over. His footsteps must have notified Ashivon because the purrs quickly shifted to subconscious growls. Sanga tensed again, feeling his claws flex on her shirt. "Can you...?"

She nodded shakily and pet his hair more, "Ash, it's fine, we're safe, I promise. It's only Doc, ok?" Ashivon slowly relaxed and Drooden cracked a grin.

He moved on his spot to see if he could get a better look at the demon's face, "Is he still asleep?"

"Not if you keep talking," Volgen chipped in. Doc snorted in agreement and raised his hands. The glow was faint as it did its work. The wound on her face healed and she felt more refreshed than she had in ages. Similarly, the black bruise on Ashivon's cheek disappeared and his breathing deepened. 

Sanga felt him sigh and she looked up at him, "Thanks, Doc." He nodded and went back to the others. She looked around, "Hey, where are the others?"

Volgen shrugged, "They're still sleeping." He pointed behind him and Sanga saw Hargens sleeping three feet away from Zariath and Jamison was sleeping in a hammock a few feet away.

"I've been meaning to ask, everyone trusts Zariath. Not that he's a bad leader, but..."

Doc nodded, "He's a little informal. He actually gets a bad rep because of it, but no one has less casualty amongst the ranks as him."

Volgen snorted, "That and the units here actually communicate. Things aren't so relaxed in the Capital... Curses, I'm going to have to go back to groveling." Drooden pat her on the back and she huffed, "Don't patronize me." Doc and Drooden chuckled, but Volgen joined in. "But he treats us like family and refuses any intolerance. Personal hatred is borderline, but if a demon tries to show superiority over humans or something, he puts them in their place. He's chill like that. He actually cares."

"I saw that last night, after..." Sanga paused. Her eyes drifted back to Ashivon. his breathing was still deep, but she had a sneaking suspicion he was, or would be, awake. "But he seems more like a father figure from what I saw."

Volgen flushed, her tail lashing again, but Drooden nodded, "He can be. There was a war on our borders a while back and a lot of good kids lost some family. Demons are brutal-"

"Hey!" Volgen hissed.

Doc elbowed her, "You're not helping your point." She pursed her lips and fell silent.

Drooden continued, "But they look after their own. Demon military units are family in all but blood." Sanga's eyebrows rose in wonder. That would explain why so many of the demons were sad to see her group's members leave. 

"Wow, that's..."

Volgen nodded, "Yeah. But we're still making bets on if these two get together." She pointed over her shoulder to Zariath and Hargens and it took all of Sanga's restraint not to laugh. 

Drooden nodded, "We're all close, but those two have some history. They didn't date then, but that doesn't mean anything now."

Doc scoffed, "Please, they're just really close." They all began to argue quietly, but it was enough for Ashivon to stretch in place. Sanga lifted her head again and they smiled at each other as their eyes met.  

"Morning, Ashivon," She grinned. 

He returned the sentiment, "Good morning, Sanga. Is Tselah...?" His head lifted to peek at the kit. He hadn't moved yet, and Ashivon would let him sleep in, even if it meant carrying him. One by one, others rose for breakfast and they set out again.

* * *

Sanga thought, "So, what's everyone's story? You know a little about me, but what about everyone else?" An uncomfortable silence fell on the group and she winced. "Never mind-"

"Nah, it's fine, Sanga, it's just... Not all of us had very happy childhoods," Hargens replied. The three that had been up earliest dropped their gazes to the ground and Sanga nodded.

"It's fine, I can understand. I didn't mean to bring up any uncomfortable memories."

Hargens waved her off and fell back to her side, "Like I said, don't worry about it. I'll tell you about me, yeah?" The rising sun cast a warm glow over her caramel skin and it made her look as if she were alight with her memories.

* * *

"I was born in Half-Heart, but I was largely raised in the Capital. Mom and Dad were wordsmiths and would be called in for ambassador work. The other kingdom's embassies always had other wordsmiths, but it was best to have some people who could spin their own wants their own way, yeah? Well, Mom was given an option. She could go on this super secret mission and be able to retire when she was done, or continue her work and retire later in life. I was about seven when this happened, so I barely remember it, but it's a big part of everything so... yeah." Her face fell at the last part and Sanga threaded their fingers together in support. Rayshal looked up and smiled thankfully.

"Well, Mom couldn't send out letter or anything, and she was gone for almost seven years. She missed so much and Dad was left to raise me and..." She threw her free hand in the air, "I just feel kinda cheated, you know? Dad would always take me to his work and I would always hear this stuff about Mom and when she came back... Everyone said whe was different. I never knew who my mom was before... Divinity. She's just so cold now and her tattoo can never be changed to the three graces's tattoo because the ink is so different and it-" Hargens hiccuped and everyone realized at the exact same moment that she was crying. Sanga pulled her in for a hug and Hargens buried her face in her shoulder. 

Sanga ran a hand up and down her back, "We don't have to talk anymore if you don't want to." 

She shook her head, "Give me a minute." Sanga nodded and let her shoulder grow damp. After a short spell, Hargens was up again, wiping her eyes. "When she came back, she gave her report and came back. She tried to readjust, but she kept seeing me as the little girl and it took me taking up a job at the Capital for her to accept that I was an adult."

Zariath chuckled as he looked over his shoulder, "You were almost twenty, if I remember correctly."

She rolled her eyes and looked to Sanga, "Guess who was placed into his command." She laughed and looked ahead.

Sanga paused, "Wait, how old are you? You look like you're in your mid-twenties."

"I'm almost thirty. My birthday's coming up soon and-" She gasped and jumped up and down, "I can see Dad again!" She squealed and Volgen covered her ears. The human noticed and winced, "Sorry, Volgen." She perked back up, "Anyway, I got put under Zariath's unit for a while, but when the Old King died and his daughter took over, a bunch of units were broken up because new treaties had to be rewritten. Somehow, I got put under his command and we moved to the Perseus Platoon. It's been about four years since then, and we all met within the year after that!"

Sanga paused, "You've been on active duty for four years?"

Hargens shook her head, "Heavens no! Platoons get moved around every six months or so we don't get too comfortable and people with family all over can visit. We're about to start the next transition!"

"Wordie would drag some of us over to her home on occasion, but the neighbors always thought she was bringing home bedmates," Volgen snickered. "That's why she didn't want her neighbors to see us!" Hargens began shouting again and whacking her pitifully.

Drooden nodded, "Her little sister was born a few years ago and manages to catch Rayshal a few times every year if she's lucky. I'll go next, let Volgen and Doc gather their thoughts."

* * *

"I was born on the border of the southern-most demon kingdom and Western Fenry, a small town called Rahnmarch. It's a mix of Demonic and Common and it means 'March March'. But because of the location, I grew up surrounded by a mix of humans and demons. I can speak enough of demon, but I'm not fluent. But Ma and Pa were farmers, and as you can imagine, I had siblings for miles. I was the third youngest and my oldest brother had gone off to serve and my older two sisters went to study at college," Drooden listed on his fingers.

"What about your two younger siblings and older sibling?" Sanga asked.

He chuckled, "You know, living in the country, you worship the God for a few reasons. The demons that pass through likely worship them, personal reasons, or like anyone else, you've lost a decent amount of family. We lost my little brother and sister to illness. And that war I mentioned earlier? It was listed as a small squirmish in history books, but to us, it looked like a wasteland. War claimed my older brother." He took a deep breath and held a hand to the tattoo between his collarbones and uttered a quick prayer under his breath. Sanga watched it passively, trying to ignore the bitter itch in her mind over the action.

Volgen looked over sharply, "Wait, that was your village?!" Her eyes were wide and her posture was low, ready to bolt. "The one with the giant rock in the center of town?" Drooden took a deep breath, trying to stay calm.

"It was. Can we... not talk about it? I may support the God of Death, but I don't want to-" He shook his head and Volgen bowed her own. 

"Right. I-I-I'm..."

"Don't worry about it. You had orders... Moving on, Ma and Pa were hit pretty hard after that. They tried to coddle me, but it didn't go well. After Gracia and Bernie moved out, they realized that the farm was a lost cause and moved closer to town. Ma had always liked baking and showed Pa and they became bakers. Eventually, the Bellerophon patrol passed through and I realized I wanted to join the service. I'd sneak out of the house to go beg them to accept me, but they were... horrid... to say the least. Zariath?" Drooden asked knowingly. Ashivon looked over in confusion and finally noticed the commander's tail was lashing back and forth as they walked.

Zariath snarled, "Those scab-ridden furballs bring disgrace upon the alliance. They don't follow protocols, they bring chaos to the towns they're  _supposed_ to protect and don't even get me started on the team divisions." He cursed under his breath and the others under him laughed.

Drooden nodded, "So, they continued to reject me, telling me they didn't accept fresh-faced children into their ranks."

"And the truth?" Hargens asked.

He scoffed, "I didn't try and fit into the human division. But I'm glad they did not accept me. They moved on after seven months and Perseus Patrol arrived. I was nervous, but I saw Hargens and Zariath. They were leading a group into town for supplies and their nature with the rest of their company was different. I approached them-"

"You  _tripped_ -" Hargens cut in. 

Drooden huffed, "I  _approached_ them and asked them to let me join. Zariath was gruff as ever and told me to follow, so I did. Along the way, one of the demons tripped and hurt her ankle-"

"Please, I was helping Zariath!" Volgen protested. "I didn't actually hurt my ankle."

"You sure about that? I think all your complainin' says different," Doc joined in. His eyes were playful. The memory must have been pleasant because the first smile either Sanga or Ashivon had seen was on his face. Volgen had nothing to say.

Drooden narrowed his eyes at the others, "Anyway, I came over and tried to help, but Volgen refused my help. I knew it was a test, but I didn't know how to react. I either ignore a comrade, or I help out and make it seem like I'm better than them. Either way, I could have been in trouble. Then I remembered I had a knife in my boot-"

"Which I told you was a mistake later and you lost two toes three weeks after," Doc chimed in again. Hargens and Volgen howled in laughed and even Zariath laughed. Jamison was oddly quiet.

Drooden pouted lightly, "Hey, can I finish?" No one interrupted him and he took a deep breath. "So, I make a quick cane and offered it. 'Look, you can beat me over the head with it if I crossed a line, but I doubt you want to let that get worse,' I said." He looked at Volgen expectantly.

She grinned, her fangs glinting in the light, "I beat him over the head with it anyway, but I used it."

Zariath nodded, "His choice surprised me, but he let her keep her pride but looked out for his own, as well as being prepared. We started his training the next day."

"How old were you?" Sanga asked again, this time focused on Drooden.

"That was about three years ago, at 16. I'm 19 now," He said. Sanga squinted at him and she could kind of see it, but he looked in his early-mid-twenties. She sighed and shook her head. Drooden chuckled and nodded, "I get that a lot. Hey, Volgen, do you want to go next?"

She sighed and looked up to the sky, "Do I have to?" She sighed before anyone could answer her.

* * *

"I was born in the southern demon kingdom, right in the Capital by the border. My mother and father were average demon parents, letting my brother and I run off until it was night out. We would be expected to catch our own food and take care of ourselves by the time we left. We were happy, ignorant. We don't have much of a written language outside names, so I didn't know what the giant slab in the center of the city was, other than a long boring list of long boring names. But... Mother and Father were getting more and more nervous, keeping an eye on Big Brother more and more. They hated it when he left the house."

She clenched her fists, "I should have listened to the elder. I should have recognized the signs from the stories, I should have-" Zariath stopped and walked over to her.

"Volgen, you didn't know and you couldn't have done anything anyway," He stated, putting a hand on her shoulder. 

The demoness bared her teeth, "I should have known, Zariath! Maybe my last words wouldn't have been..." She shook her head. "I hated it. All of the kids in town were getting locked in their homes by their parents and no one would come out to play. I hated it. I... I just wanted someone to play with me. I... I didn't know that- He knew. He knew why he couldn't go outside, but I pushed him. Told him that... I hated him and I hoped he got captured like in those ridiculous stories that the Elder told. He froze and suddenly, a circle opened up underneath him. It... It looked just like that stupid sign." Volgen shook her head again and looked over at Sanga, "That stupid sign from that stupid cult lead by stupid people with stupid followers and..." Her voice cracked and Tselah whined. 

He looked up at Sanga, asking quietly for permission and she nodded. He walked over and leaned into her side. Volgen purred, wrapping her tail around his waist, "Hey, little angel. I'm fine. But that sign haunted me and I was just so angry. Mother and Father coddled me the rest of my life and I finally understood what those names in the center of town were. They were the demons who had been taken."

She looked up to Zariath and nodded, "I'm fine. Let's keep going." He nodded back and took up the front with Jamison. "But Big Brother always said I was small, that I could run, so I pushed myself. I'm one of the fastest demons in all of the Southern Demon kingdom," Volgen said proudly. "But I joined the military against Mother and Father's wishes. I had enough of their babying. I had to go. It turned out that I joined a rebel group instead and... well..." She looked over her shoulder to Drooden, "Yeah. The actual military caught wind of our action and we were detained. They gave us an ultimatum: Death, one demon for every human life, or join in the personnel trade program. I wanted to live, so I applied. That was three years ago. Now, I'm going to do whatever it takes to take out Divinity." 

Sanga opened her mouth, but Volgen snarled, "Don't even think about asking, I'm not telling. Zariath, Doc, Sir Jerk, I don't care who goes next."

Doc sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "I'm just going to get this-"

Hargens' stomach growled and she smiled sheepishly, "Can we save this after lunch? I'm starved." Volgen snorted, but Zariath allowed them to stop for the day.

* * *

After a quick lunch and everyone was back on the road, Doc stretched, "Well, back to my turn, eh? Well, I was raised in the North, in Cow-Tail about forty-somethin' years ago and I studied medicine pretty heavily. I met this lady when I was his age." He pointed at Drooden. The 'old' man sighed, "She supported my studies and she was always there. I decided to try and settle down, start a life, stay out of the public eye, all of that."

Hargens spoke up, "It was the earthquake, wasn't it?" The old look in her eyes was back and Sanga left Ashivon's side to loop their arms together. He whined and caught up. As he needed his tail for the fast pace, he held Sanga's free hand. Sanga stiffened and Hargens gave her a smirk. The look was gone, but the two women knew the effects were far from gone.

Doc continued without regard, "Yeah, it was. I was a few towns south with a patient when the land began to shake. The last house owners said that it would get blown down with a deep breath, but I never expected it to fall on Faith and our newborn. They were killed quickly, or at least, I hope so." He head hung and he sighed, "Faith's family came from the military and I wanted to owe her something, so... I joined. The first ten years, I served within the government and I eventually worked my way up to be one of the Old King's docs. He was getting more and more ill in his final years and there were disagreements about treatment. In the end, it was my vote that tipped the scale."

He ran his hand through his hair, "You see, he was getting fluid- liquid- in his lungs and we had to choose between surgery, which was risky but more effective, or herbal remedies, which I know wouldn't have worked, but it was safer. I chose the surgery." He swallowed, "He... He died on the operating table. His blood was all over my hands. Because he died, everyone involved on my side of the vote had 'killed' the king, we had to be punished. We were sent on field duty. That was four years ago, when I was sent to Perseus Platoon. I got her shortly before wordsmith joined us." He walked over to Hargens and ruffled her hair. She laughed and swatted at his hands, but there was no ill-intent behind either.

Doc looked up, "So, Jamison or Zariath?"

The two up front shared a look and Zariath bowed his head, "I will go next."

* * *

"I was born in the Eastern demon kingdom, deep in a forested village about thirty-five years ago. I was raised in a large collective litter by the village. Because of the nutrients, we were able to grow larger than most demons and our village was known to produce excellent warriors. As such, many of us went off to the military once we were old enough to send our pay back to the village. I was able to rise through the ranks quickly, but there was a problem. I was accused of stealing money from a town we were supposed to be protecting and I was sent into the military exchange because of it," Zariath stated.

Hargens nodded, "Oh yeah, that. Did you ever find out who  _did_ steal the money?" She skipped ahead, pulling away from Sanga to walk next to Zariath. 

He shook his head, "No, but I was placed in the Capital. My first year there, a woman showed up and delivered the first report on what I would come to know as Divinity. She said it was a cult, but it was dangerous. She left, but someone who looked like her came to the Capital for a job six years later and we would see each other on occasion before being assigned to the same unit later that year. We've known each other for about a decade in total." Hargens grinned again.

"Has it really been that long? It feels like a week!" She giggled and danced back to Sanga and Ashivon. The kit, who had been resting in Ashivon's arms for a great part of the afternoon, crooned in excitement and wriggled. He was released and the two played chase. Sanga smiled, ' _Well, that was a rather short story_.' 

She looked to Jamison, who hadn't spoken a word the entire day, "Hey, Jamison, what about you?"

He stiffened before turning around, "I don't have too much to be told. How about you tell us about yourself?"

Sanga raised an eyebrow at the deflection, but nodded. It was only fair.

* * *

"According to some of the care mothers, I was born about 20 years ago, but we don't keep very good records, sadly. I was raised in the Sanctuary, in a large orphanage within the gates," Sanga said, thinking back. She looked at Hargens, "Your mother told me that my Mother killed my father, and was forced to face the executioner of the time." Volgen and Ashivon stiffened at the word. 

The demoness shrunk, "Sanga, I-"

"It's not your fault. It's the way the Divine are. Anyway, I was raised with a bunch of other children within the gates and were told all kinds of stories. There were some about demons, others about other kingdoms, and some about the flaws of man. We were supposed to be mindless servants and I'm only realizing that now. I think Pennyroyal found out at some point. It's why..." Volgen nodded sadly and Drooden looked between them.

"The rhyming girl?"

Sanga nodded, "It was a little quirk she picked up after a few years. She was practically living in the library, but-" She shook her head, "Sorry, we rarely left the gates and we explored whatever we could. We were all divided up into different sectors. There were the true magic users, who focused on the more complex stuff, such as summoning and..." She tapped the inside of her right forearm. Ashivon frowned and put a hand over the spot on his own arm. He didn't need a reminder.

"Then there were the warriors, who learned martial arts and healing. I was taught this under the Leader of the Light. He was the main recruiter, but he was also in charge of training. Then there were the regular members who were supposed to go through town and keep the peace. It usually didn't go well for them, but life went on.

"I was eventually put in charge of Ashivon's wellbeing after his matches. I had seen him as a kid, but I always stayed away. I began to see him for what he was and-"

"Ok, we don't need a whole description of your relationship," Volgen complained. 

Sanga rolled her eyes, "Fine. Some stuff happened, we were going to be killed, we got out, we were hunted and we met you all, happy?"

The demoness sneered, "Very." The group continued on until dinner and no one noticed that they had skipped Jamison's turn until the fire was made.

Hargens looked up, mouth full of dried veggies, "Hey, Jamison, we never heard about you."

He paused, "There's nothing  _to_ hear. I don't have an interesting life."

"But-" Sanga began.

"Sanga," Zariath cut off. His eyes bore into hers and Ashivon tensed at the sign of aggression. She put a hand on his arm and he calmed. 

Jamison sighed in relief, unnoticed to everyone but Ashivon. The demon frowned. What was wrong with the short man? He shrugged and dug into his food. He had better things to think about than Jamison.

 

 

 

 


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It rains, Volgen and Sanga fight again and we see a bit of the workings of Jamison's mind.

 

Ashivon awoke first the next day. The sky was a dark red, but it was lightening slowly by the rising sun. He sighed in annoyance, knowing what it meant. Sanga hummed in her sleep, cuddling deeper into his side. He purred, pulling her and Tselah closer to him. A quiet sigh made Ashivon look over to Doc. He crooned curiously but was careful not to wake the others. "Doc?"

He sighed again, leaning against a nearby tree and rubbed his knees, "Storm's comin'. Air pressure is startin' to mess with my knees."

Jamison approached quietly, "We're almost half-way there and there's an outpost in a few miles if your old knees can last that long." 

Doc nodded, "They can. I'm not that old yet." His posture relaxed a bit, something that confused Ashivon. He thought that people didn't like Jamison that much. His bewilderment must have shown on his face as Jamison rose an eyebrow at him. 

"What? Am I not allowed to show concern over my comrades?" He asked. Ashivon frowned in confusion again and Jamison hummed, going to sit next to Doc. They started talking, but it was too low for him to hear. Ashivon thought over the past few days and how their lives were going. Sanga seemed to be trustng him more, but how much that was just shallow trust, he didn't know. He didn't want to know, even if he was a  _little_ curious. Tselah was beginning to trust the others a little bit, but he still slept close to Sanga at night, no matter how much Volgen tried to beckon him over. It was going to hurt giving him back to his parents, but...

It also opened the thought of seeing his own parents after everything. Would they recognize him? Would he recognize _them_? Would they accept him after everything he had done? Did he have siblings like Volgen's family? How stunted was his knowledge of his own people because of Divinity?

His tail flicked at the thought and he looked at Sanga. She was in the same boat. He had seen her struggling the past few days as she began to see how Divinity had warped her view. There were clear biases and she was still apparently trying to fight habits that were instilled at the Sanctuary. But she was trying and he would too. Sanga was strong and she'd look out for him and he would do whatever he could to keep his guiding light safe.

The others woke up shortly after Ashivon did, and the peace of cuddling came to an end. Sanga awoke and shook Tselah awake. They got up for breakfast and were on their way again. 

* * *

Doc grumbled for several minutes after they began and Drooden and Volgen shared a look, as did Hargens and Zariath. Sanga seemed tense, looking at the cloudy sky nervously. Ashivon wondered just how bad this storm was going to be. He got a pretty good idea when the sky lit up with a loud crack and it immediately began to downpour. He stiffened immediately at the onslaught. Rainy nights were not fun in his cage because the water seeped in and always pooled at the back of it. He'd had to pin himself to the front to keep out of the water, but the rain would hit him from there. 

The others were panicking and Zariath directed everyone into the woods. Some short trees gave them cover as the storm raged above them. Sanga debated with herself and lowered their pack to the ground. "Ashivon," She called over the sound of the rain. He looked over and saw her display the quilt. He debated and nodded at the thought. Sanga nodded back and pulled it out, "Spread it out!" 

Zariath, Drooden, Jamison, and Ashivon all seized a corner and held it up so it was at a slope- water would skim right off. The others pulled themselves as close together as they could under the temporary cover. Sanga kept an eye on Ashivon, worried the water might trigger something. She knew he had little cover on stormy nights and it might not bring up very good memories. He seemed to be doing just fine, despite the circumstances.

The group was silent, except for Tselah crying out in fear with every lightning strike. He crawled into Sanga’s lap and she tried to calm him down by humming gently and rubbing his back. That usually worked for her.

Volgen was silent again, looking down. She looked up, “Sanga…?”

The former nun’s head snapped up, thrown out of her own trance, “Yeah, Volgen?” Her hand never left the kit’s back. He curled further into her at the lack of humming.

“Did… Was my brother happy… at the Sanctuary?” She asked, picking at her tuff-less tail.

Sanga slumped, trying to think back to the previous executioner. She had been a child, almost ten, when he lost a battle in the ring and was killed for it. He had been a tall, imposing figure, but remembering what she could, she could see the resemblance between him and Volgen. They had similar nose stripes, thin noses and tails, but that was where the similarities ended.

“The executioners are usually decently taken care of; they have food, water, their injuries are healed, but… I remember he used to pace a lot. He wasn’t mean to the younger kids, but anyone taller than his hip, he was hesitant around,” Sanga recounted.

Volgen mused, “He always did like children. He didn’t pace, he usually liked to relax when he could.”

Sanga frowned, “There was once he had to face a child. I wouldn’t have remembered if it wasn’t for…”

“He cried, didn’t he?” Sanga’s silence was enough of an answer and Volgen nodded, tears appearing in her eyes. “I know Camille said he forgave me, but… Did he really?” She huddled into herself and Doc put a hand on her shoulder.

“If your brother’s anythin’ like what you’ve told us, and Sanga’s sayin’ about his personality, he knew you didn’t mean it. People pace to deal with stress. He must have thought about you everyday, ok? You didn’t send him to the Sanctuary,” Doc whispered. He looked up at the corner-bearers, “You might want to take a seat. This storm could last a few hours.” They shared a look before nodding. They still kept the blanket over them, but went to huddle with the rest of the group. The air underneath quickly became hot and it was only the cool wind of the storm that kept them from overheating.

Ashivon pressed himself to Sanga, whining quietly. She moved her free hand to run through his hair, “You’re ok, Ashivon. The storm’s not going to get you." He nodded and leaned into her hand more, wrapping his tail around her waist. 

"What happen in capital?" Ashivon asked quietly, much too quietly. Sanga rested her head on his shoulder, letting her eyes fall half-lidded.

"I don't know, Ashivon," She admitted.

"We'll be starting a war."

Sanga's head snapped up so quickly, and with the blanket weighed down by the water, she gave herself whiplash, "What?!" Ashivon tensed at her sharp shriek and she quickly pulled her tone under control. She couldn't lose her head, Ashivon might lose his and someone could get hurt and they couldn't have that.

Doc shrugged, "What did you expect, Sanga? You two are the only people to ever defy Divinity and make it to our borders. You know as well as I do that executioners-" Ashivon pulled his lip back and growled quietly. Sanga looked at him and caught his eye. They didn't have the glint in his eye, not yet, and he slowly relaxed as their gaze held. She reached and threaded their fingers together.

"Calm down, Ashivon, we're safe-"

"You're mad. You're never mad," He cut in, tail end beating on her ribcage lightly.

She sighed through her nose, "I'm not mad, but I'm..." Sanga couldn't admit she was scared. Ashivon might do something drastic and that was the last thing she wanted. He was by no means an idiot. He couldn't understand her language, so he taught himself how to speak  _Sanga_. If she was mad, she had good reason. If she was scared, she had good reason. If she was happy, there was good reason. He understood her almost better than he understood anything else. It worried her, but it also made her shamefully proud. 

She tried again, "I'm not mad, I'm just not happy. Fenry will attack Divinity."

Volgen bared her teeth, "And what's so wrong about that?"

"Because, even if they did- still do wrong, I still have family there. There are good people, they're just misguided and-"

The demoness tensed, ready to pounce. Only Zariath and Hargens could see it, but her claws were pointed, ready to rip and tear, "And what, they'll just switch away from Divinity? Just like that?"

Sanga pulled her lip back, squeezing Ashivon's hand, "I know some people-"

"They're evil, Sanga! We've all heard reports that their citizens are surpressed, that the government brainwashes everyone, and they treat them worse than dirt! If they even think someone wants to betray them, they send them to the pits to be killed! They turned my brother into a murderer!" Volgen hissed. Her hackles were raised and she looked ready to stand.

Sanga opened her mouth, but Ashivon growled. She took a deep breath, patting his hand, before continuing, "Volgen, there are some people who, now that I understand, hate Divinity. They are probably waiting for a sign or a reason to fight back, but they can't _do_ anything, not without getting killed-"

"But they'd be doing something!" Volgen said. "They could-"

"Nothing is going to bring your brother back, Volgen!" Sanga growled. Suddenly, the air in the tent grew thicker than cotton.

Volgen grew still, her tail held out behind her, still except for the end, "I know, but that doesn't change that they have torn apart families and will continue to do so. After everything, you think I hate Divinity  _just_ because of my brother? No, it's more than that. They twisted a demon ideal, they twisted around something that my people hold higher than their own wellbeing. We believe in life-for-a-life, eye-for-an-eye, favor-for-a-favor, and you all have turned that excuse to take murderers to be murdered! It's not right!"

Sanga swallowed, "I'm sorry, Volgen, but it's the way they- we were raised-"

"Do you still think that way?" Jamison asked sharply. Hargens took a sharp intake of breath, but Doc put a hand on her shoulder to keep her quiet. Jamison's sky blue eyes were now icy, cutting into her. His hand had disappeared into his commander officer's jacket, grasping at some unknown item. "Do you still think like Divinity?"

"I..." She thought over her words, "I don't know how to think anymore. I don't-"

He frowned, "Then learn to think. Fight anything that doesn't make any sense to you, because if I even have an inkling of an idea that you will hurt our kingdom-" He gestured to the other Fenrians and demon military officers, "-God,  _my_ kingdom, my cousin-in-law, I will not be afraid to have you ended. You would do anything to protect your family, and you only have a demon on your side. I would do the same, but I have more friends willing to fight for me than you could ever think. I might seem like a class-A asshole, but I get people's trust. Can I trust that you'll never hurt the Queen and do whatever it takes to make sure Divinity never puts another living being in those pits ever again? Even if-" He gave Volgen a hard side-glance, "That means your kingdom's ideas and traditions continue until they're ready to adapt. Can I trust you?" His arm tensed.

Sanga understood that if she said the wrong thing now, she and Ashivon would be dead within seconds. She shared a look with Ashivon. He crooned gently, tucking his muzzle into the joint between her neck and shoulder. Tselah looked at her and chirped happily. Sanga sighed and her eyes drifted close. She knew what her answer would be.

"Alright, teach me how to think."

And they did.

Hargens recounted fairy tales.

Drooden sang hymns of the graces and the graceless.

Volgen boasted childhood demon epics.

Jamison explained the basics of the Queen's court.

Zariath told of what happened in Demon culture and cities.

Doc told of what happened in human culture and cities.

And Sanga and Ashivon learned.

They didn't notice it had stopped raining until they heard birds singing and saw light peek under the soaked blanket. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if it's short and I'm going to try and get some chapters out in the next few days, but between my sister's graduation, family coming for it, and work, time's not a resource, but a luxury.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE READ THIS NOTE::::  
> So. After... a few months, I'm updating this again. It's going to be much, MUCH shorter than revamped, as well as several different tones and changes. There has been so, so much development into this world since I last visited this. They are not demons, they are Intseh; they don't speak demonic/demonspeak/demon, they speak Intsehli (credit goes to Internutter for the name of the language). I'm keeping several things theortically the same: All of the group's past is the same, Ashivon's parents are still Heravon and Ashach, but it's going to be a much... much different kind of situation. From this point on, the story is going to be different than Revamped. You want a happy story? Go over there. You want a long story? Go over there. You want a story that's going to make you cry? Well, either will do.
> 
> Point is, this is basically FMA at this point. The two versions are the same up to a point. This chapter is that point, understood?
> 
> Good. Carry on!

The story sharing had been interesting to Sanga. She hadn’t known how courts worked, only that the word of the high priests was law. She had noticed that free thought was also valued, but common sense was still a good idea. Ashivon hung off every word of Zariath and Volgen’s contributions and Tselah joined in when he knew what to say. 

Sanga admitted to Jamison that it could take a while for her to grow out of... Divinity-ness, but she wouldn’t attack anyone unless they did first. He nodded and pat her shoulder, “I understand. You have anyone in the group to talk to if you need it. But the threat still stands. Never forget that.” With one last side glance, he went  to talk to Zariath. Sanga squares her shoulders and went to Ashivon’s side.

He was working with Hargens and Drooden to get the quilt dry, or at least folded. Hargens looked up and smiled, “I heard that even if we don’t get this dry, there’s an outpost about three miles away.”

”It would have been a bad idea to travel in that storm,” Drooden stated. He looked to Hargens, “Hey, should I...?” He motioned to the spot between his collarbones- no, his tattoo. He nodded and his arm rings glowed a familiar dark red. Sanga looked at her shirt to confirm. They were the same color of blood red. 

His hand formed a long red sword, flaming with a blazing unnatural fire. Drooden’s face lit in pure joy for a split second before it eased into his usual neutral expression. He held up the sword to the blanket carefully, watching the earthy-toned quilt steam. Ashivon whined at the weapon, obviously on edge. Sanga joined his side. He leaned on her, smiling, but he was worried. He’d never seen a flaming sword before. 

Luckily, it was over quickly and Hargens gave the warm blanket to Sanga she took it back and folded it for her bag. "We head out in half an hour. Eat up while you still can and make sure we left nothing behind." The others nodded and Sanga called Tselah over. She passed him his food back and pulled out a portion of dried fruit, nuts and a piece of jerky. He tore into the meat with vigor, but wrinkled his nose at the greens. 

Sanga rose an eyebrow and frowned, "Tselah, you have to eat those too." He pouted and quickly shoved them in his mouth. He gagged and went to cuddle with Ashivon. The older demon laughed and pulled him under his arm. The adults shared a look and laughed, digging into their own rations. 

* * *

The road was horribly muddy and Sanga felt bad for the demons, had it not been for the face her shoes kept getting stuck in the mud. She eventually had enough and took them off, tucking them into her waistband. She cringed at the feeling of mud seeping in between her toes, but she could only imagine how Ashivon felt. He kept sinking to his ankle and he shivered with each step he had to take. Volgen and Zaraith were little better off. Hargens, Drooden, and Doc were trying to cast their shields onto the ground, but mud would still pool in from the sides. They all knew those three miles were going to take the rest of the day, it being noon.

The only sounds were growls, grunts, and pants of focus. The three Fenrians were struggling to keep their shields up constantly and breaks were becoming increasingly common. Sanga was exhausted and the top of the mud on her legs was starting to crack and it made her skin crawl. Tselha was clinging to Ashivon, trying very hard not to jostle to much in his caretaker's arms as they waded through the mud. As he grew more visibly tired, Sanga came over and offered the kit her back. He was confused, but Volgen helped him up. Ashivon smiled in thanks and his pace grew longer. He still never got out of arm's reach of Sanga.

It was approaching dark when the far light of living beings was seen. The humans let out a collective sigh of relief, but Volgen and Zariath tensed. They stuck their noses in the air, trying to pick up some unknown scent. Zariath snapped his fingers quietly and the military personnel pushed Doc and the escapees towards the middle of a circle. The humans summoned luminous teal shield as Volgen and Zariath crouched, ready to spring. Ashivon pushed Sanga and Tselah under him, trying to cover them should the need arise. Doc frowned looking into the surrounding area and was muttering quietly. After a small occasional pause, his arm rings would glow. 

After one particular instance, he froze, “Zariath, it’s not Divinity-“

”It’s Demonic-“

”They’re the parents-“

”Of who?” Volgen snapped.

Doc growled, “I don’t know! The Goddess can’t  _speak_!” He looked into the woods and turned to Zariath, "We're on the defensive. Only true fools would try to fight us and even Demons who disagreed with the Treaty know not to interfere with it! Stand down!"

Jamison turned to him, "Agreed. If they're going to follow us, that's their decision, but until we get there, we stay on our guard. The more time we waste here, the more we have to lean on the demons." Volgen tensed and Zariath nodded.

He didn't face away from the forest, "Volgen, take up the rear. Ashivon, the left, and I'll take the right. Understood?"

"He's not even military! He won't understand-" Doc protested, but Zariath snarled. With the break in his usually calm facade, Doc silenced himself. He muttered to himself and his hands glowed brightly. Tselah hissed at the blinding sheen and Sanga pet his hair back.

"Shh, little angel, it'll be ok," She muttered, watching Ashivon divert to the left. His posture was tense and he searched the nearby woods. Was it his parents, or the kit's? Either way, this was going to be... interesting. 

Drooden summoned his flaming sword once more, "We've better hurry!" The urgency of the situation pushed them on and the mud felt gluier than before. Sanga's feet still sank, especially with the weight of Tselah on her back.

Jamison pursed his lips as he looked over the ground. "Kaller, do you remember that fire thing you used to do?"

"The one that left me unconscious for the next two of days? Of course," He responded. He sighed and knew what the platoon leader wanted. He marched to the front and Hargens came up behind him, watching him closely. Drooden took a deep breath and raised his hands. In them, a spear formed. It was basic, but the double-edged end was engulfed in flames. Drooden took another deep breath and swung it in a large arc. As it headed down towards the ground, a large blast of flame erupted from the tip. 

Only... large blast was an understatement. Sanga, Ashivon, and Tselah reeled in absolute horror as it was more of a large wave. It ballooned in front of them and blocked their view, but they didn't know that the practical wall of flame stretched for nearly two miles. Drooden wavered slightly and Hargens stood behind him. He finally pitched back and the woman caught him quickly. She slung an arm over her shoulder and kept him close. Her eyes drifted up and saw that the path that had been muddy had been burnt dry.

Sanga stared in awe and mild horror, "You... said Kaller's done this before?"

Zariath hummed as he went over to the unconscious teenager, "Only a few times and never on this scale. He knows what he's doing each time, Sanga." He nodded to Hargens and she carefully passed Drooden over. His head lolled as Zariath picked him up completely. The two shared a look and Volgen sighed as she walked over. 

"He's such an idiot," She said, ruffling his hair. Drooden didn't respond. She hummed and looked back at Jamison, "Oi, I'm taking to the trees. I'm going to-" She was cut off by the bushes rustling behind them. Three intseh stepped out of the brush and they tensed. Ashivon growled lowly and hunched slightly, trying to block Sanga and Tselah from their view. Sanga hummed quietly and let her hand ghost over Ashivon's arm. He growled a little louder at the touched, but relaxed minutely. He knew Sanga was still working to get over her fear and-

One of the taller, hornless figures looked over the group hopefully and they landed on Ashivon. They gasped and started to run forward towards Ashivon, screaming and babbling incoherently, arms outstretched, but...

Ashivon took one look at the perceived threat and roared.

"Auntie, no!"

Volgen bolted past the trio and slammed into the charging woman. They tumbled and the stranger hissed loudly, shouting something in Intsehli. But... there was one word that the entire group knew. "Ashivon," The woman continued to say. She looked back at the man in question and she saw Sanga and Tselah looking out from behind him. Her eyes widened and she gaped. Ashivon caught the look and once again tried to hide them from view.

"Who?" He demanded. His ears pinned back and Sanga walked back in front of him. She left Tselah behind them, in the hands of Hargens.

"Hey, Ash, you're fine, ok? She's not attacking. She's good, ok? Are you ok?" She turned back to see the intseh woman staring in a mix of anger, fear, horror, and joy.

She babbled again, pushing closer, but Ashivon hunched himself over Sanga and snarled again. "Back," He hissed, staring the woman down. The woman reeled, shaking, but it wasn't just in fear. She clearly knew who he was, but... Ashivon couldn't put his finger on it and neither could Sanga. They were on their guard and Sanga's hand hovered over her machete in worry.

Volgen stepped between them, muttering quietly. They conversed and the taller woman started shouting, gesturing to Sanga and Ashivon. It made the two incredibly anxious and Sanga's hand clenched over the machete's hilt out of fear. Volgen continued to talk, her own voice building stubbornly. Eventually, they stopped as Zariath barked something and he came over. He towered over the newcomer and began to talk. The woman shrunk slightly, but her head snapped over.

"Ashivon..." She whispered.

"Who are you?" He asked.

Hargens swallowed, coming up from behind them. "Ashivon... That's your mom."

Ashivon swallowed and he looked back to the woman, "Mom?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's a short chapter, but it gets ups back into the swing of things. Updates will probably be slow


	20. Goodbyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashivon and Sanga say goodbye and Ashivon's mother starts to get a look at her son now. She doesn't like it.

Volgen sighed in exhaustion and she turned to Ashivon's mother, "Heravon... He's... learning Common, but we don't think he understands intsehli anymore." The woman clenched her hands and she looked up to Ashivon again. There was so much sadness in her eyes and Ashivon pinned his ears back. He didn't know how to deal with the unbridled feeling in this woman's eyes, this woman he didn't even remember.

"Ashivon?" His mother asked quietly as she walked up to him. She was a few inches taller than he was and he shrunk slightly. "My child..." She breathed, lifting a hand to brush against his cheek. He reeled at it first ghosted against his face. His teeth bared instinctively and the woman sighed. "My baby, what happened to you?"

"I do no know," He said quietly, taking a step back. He didn't remember her, he didn't know her, so why did he feel so sad to get away? 

"Hey, Ash, you're ok, alright?" Sanga soothed from her place next to him. Ashivon looked down and saw her reassuring smile. He relaxed slightly and he nodded. Sanga's smile grew and she grabbed his hand with her left. "Talk to her, ok? I'm still here-"

The older woman narrowed her eyes, "Why are you talking to him like he's a child? He's a grown man." She took a step closer and Ashivon growled again, stepping between Heravon and Sanga. Heravon stared in horror and swallowed. "Ashivon... What happened to you?" Her child's head fell and her gaze fell to Sanga. Her eyes saw the mark that stood out on her chest, cut in half. Heravon's eyes widened and she snarled loudly. " _You. You took my son_ -"

"Auntie, no, don't!" Volgen called, rushing over. Heravon was already taking a step closer, but the soldier caught the back of her shirt. It was just in the nick of time as Ashivon was already taking a swipe at her. Heravon's eyes widened as he fell into a rough fighting stance, ready to defend Sanga. Volgen panted as she saw the stance, memories flying across her face and she glared at Heravon, "You could have gotten-"

"Volgen," Zariath hissed as he approached the group. The other two figures were walking over, talking quietly, but they called out. Tselah peeked his head out from Hargens' hold and his face lit up. He screamed and got out of her hold to run towards them. The two adults screamed back and went to tackle the child. It was a happy reunion and the parents looked over their child for any wounds. When they found none, they formed a tight circle and just sat in the pure  _relief_ of their child's return. No one missed Heravon's anguished look at them. That should have been her reunion too.

She swallowed and looked to Volgen, "Volfa, what were you going to say?" The soldier's face twisted and she clearly wanted to say, but she shook her head. 

She offered a hand, "It's not my place, but... Ashivon's not the same kid you remember, Auntie. He's different from the stories you used to tell."

Heravon took the hand and pulled herself up. Her eyes drifted closed and she breathed out, "P-Please, I-I need to know. What's happened to my son?"

"We'll tell you more when we get to the capital. Were you and Tselah's family staying at the nearby station?" Jamison asked. Heravon looked up and nodded. She bowed deeply and Jamison stiffened, "Ma'am, please-"

"Drop the bullshit, Jamison. Your sister will reveal it anyway, you know this too," She said, standing.

Hargens frowned, "Wait, what? His sister?" She looked between Jamison and Heravon in confusion.

Zariath sighed and came to stand between them, "Hargens, now is not the time. What Jamison decides to do is his decision." He gave a pointed look to Heravon, who frowned. She looked at the unconscious teenager in his arms and her face withered in worry.

"Do you need help? I can-" She offered, holding out her arms. Zariath shook his head and held Drooden tighter ever-so-slightly. The teenager grunted in his sleep and the commander relaxed his grip.

Zariath sighed, "I'd... rather not. The sooner we can get to the capital, the better. If we keep on, we can make it to the station in an hour and if we're really lucky, there will be a cart to take us to the capital tomorrow." The group nodded and he turned to the family of three, talking quietly. 

The woman of the group smiled and shook her head, responding. Tselah's eyes widened and he scrambled out of his family's grasp to run towards Sanga and Ashivon. The two shared a look of confusion as he grabbed their hands and dragged them back to his parents. "Tselah!" Sanga asked, a slight giggle in her voice.

The child turned around, "Come too! Come too!"

Ashivon smiled as he realized what was going on and shook his head, "You go home. We no come, ok?" Tselah deflated and Hargens came over and nudged Sanga slightly.

"Hey, do you two think you'd be ok if he came to see you two again, no matter where you end up?" She asked.

Sanga looked at Ashivon and stared. She didn't miss what Hargens was asking. She knew they weren't going to leave each other, but... was she insinuating they'd live together? It wasn't a far off hope, but... Sanga swallowed and shook herself into the real world, "Ash, we could see Tselah again. Would you want that?"

He nodded without hesitation, "I want to see Tselah again." Hargens smiled at the echo and turned to the parents. She spoke quickly and they relaxed, nodding. They crooned to Tselah, apparently speaking in their own language to their child. He lit up brightly and whirled around to look at the two had taken care of him. He lunged forward and wrapped them up in a hug, purring loudly and chirping in their ears.

They laughed and held him close. "We're going to miss you, little angel," Sanga whispered, resting her cheek on top of his head. Ashivon nodded his head in agreement and pulled away slightly. He pulled Tselah's right forearm and pressed his forehead to it, and he started to cry. Sanga swallowed, understanding why. She put a hand on his back and just comforted him as he sobbed.

This child got what he could never have.

He didn't have to get the tattoo that drove him to murder.

He got back to parents that remembered.

He wasn't scarred for life.

He hadn't killed anyone.

Ashivon wrapped him up up in a personal hug and held him close before letting him go. He ruffled his hair before getting up and headed back to the group. Sanga stared at his back and sighed again. A quiet chirp caught her attention and she turned. She smiled as Tselah cocked his head slightly. "I'm going to miss you, little angel. Take care of yourself, ok?" She got up, but he grabbed her hand.

He smiled, "Sing?" Sanga froze, but smiled. She sat down again and pulled him close, rocking him back and forth and sang the song she had sung back at Perseus platoon's station. 

"Your voice is my guiding light,

even in the darkest night.

I won't forget the words you sang,

and all the hope you brang.

Even when all that hope is gone,

you'll always help me hang on.

Forget me not, my love, my dear,

With me close, you'll have all but fear."

She took in a shuddering breath and realized she was crying and Tselah smiled sadly. He hugged her again and slowly pulled away. Sanga stood shakily and went to stand next to Ashivon. As the two groups broke apart, they turned and waved one last time. Heravon still traveled with their group, but she continued to send withering glances to Ashivon and Sanga. It wasn't missed, but it was ignored. For now, at least. The two just cried and leaned on each other, feeling the fact that the trio's down to two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In complete honesty, the chapters are going to be so much shorter, but they'll probably be slightly more frequent. I'm pushing this story a little bit so I can be done with it, but I'm not giving up


	21. Small Steps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They arrive in the capital and Ashivon and Sanga are a little more than scared. They're going to meet the Queen and their fates will be decided.

The rest of the walk to the station was uneventful. Ashivon and Sanga walked close together and Heravon never let her gaze leave them, even as she spoke quietly with Volgen. Jamison and Doc were speaking in a language that no one else seemed to know, even Hargens. She was giving them confused looks, mulling over their words as she walked next to Zariath. The large man was still carrying their resident brown nose, who didn't seem to be walking up anytime soon. All in all, it was a pretty tense walk.

When the gates of a decently sized stone fortress came into view, there was a loud horn blown. Ashivon jumped high in the air and Sanga reached for her machete. The two quickly relaxed and missed Heravon's worried look. Jamison turned to give her a strict look, giving her a silent order not to say anything. She bowed her head and clenched her fists, but she listened. The commander nodded and pushed forward, heading to the front of the group. As they approached, the large wooden gates opened and two people met them. They were human and Intseh respectively, each equal in height, but their manner was completely different. The human man had a harsh look on his face, while the woman had a warm grin on her face. Sanga swallowed at the sight and Ashivon moved closer to her slightly. 

The man nodded, "Welcome to Hercules Platoon, who may you be?"

Jamison saluted, "Sir Jamison Carolingian Alabaster the seventh, head of the platoon and sixteenth in line for the throne-"

"Cut the crap, Your-" The man hissed, but Jamison glowered at him. The other commander sighed and nodded, "The Queen isn't going to bend as easily, Sir."

"I'll deal with it when I get to it," He responded. "But we're on the way to the capital and we were wondering if it would be at all possible to get a cart from you all." He nodded to the Intseh woman who nodded back. 

She shrugged, "We'll see what we've got, but Sir, you're travelling with a rather large group. That's going to take most of our buggies-"

Jamison sighed, "Tsevich, I know that this platoon has three carts. Two of them are in decent condition and one has a two missing sides. We're ok with taking a decent one and the broken one, but we need to be going." The two Hercules platoon members shared a look and Jamison glared harder. "This is an order from the crown-"

"Hey, I know you're high and mighty and all, but you don't have that power, Sir-" Hargens stated, but Zariath took a step forward, giving her a look. Hargens backed up slightly and she searched Zariath's eyes. "You're... Are you serious?  _That's-_ "

"Rayshal Rocky Hargens, I would highly recommend you keep your mouth shut about the matter," Jamison hissed. His posture was defensive and the rest of the group wondered what exactly Hargens figured out. They hadn't ever seen their leader get like this... ever. 

Regardless, Hargens saluted deeply and she rose, "As you say, Sir." Her manner had completely changed and Jamison sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I was worried about this..." He looked up, "Tsevich, please?" The intseh saluted and headed off.

Her human counterpart gave the visitors a withered look and sighed, "It will take a little while to get the horses hooked up, so would you like to come in? Dinner's still going on, but I see no reason for you to join us."

Zariath shook his head, "I believe we'd rather eat along the way. Thank you for the offer, however." The Hercules commander's eyes drifted to Jamison, who merely nodded. The three commanders stood there, looking over the group and Heravon walked back over to the two. Ashivon's ear flicked and he looked over when he heard his mother coming. His tail wrapped around Sanga's ankle and she looked over in worry.

Heravon sighed, "I... I'm sorry about earlier, Ashivon. I wasn't thinking, but... You're back. I have my son back, and he's safe, and he's turned into a man, and I'm so proud." A smile drifted onto her face and Ashivon swallowed. Sanga squeezed his hand gently and looked at his mother.

"He's... done a lot he's not proud of, Ma'am. Same with me. But... It's not my story to tell-" She started, but Jamison cleared his throat.

"We'll discuss it more when we get to the castle. We'll get the truth, Sanga, Ashivon. Then... We'll talk about what happens next," He stated. The group of three nodded and looked back at each other.

Heravon smiled hopefully and reached for her son's open hand, "We can go home, Ashivon and leave all of this behind us-"

"And Sanga?" He whispered. Just before Heravon grabbed his hand, she faltered and her gaze drifted to Sanga. The human's eyes were wide, but they were downcast. She quickly shrunk into herself, but Ashivon nudged her slightly. "I'm no leaving you," He defended.

Sanga smiled sadly as she looked up. Tears appeared in her eyes and she grinned weakly, "Ashivon, I know, but-" His eyes widened and Sanga sighed. "I don't want to see you hurt. I am worried that I will make you hurt, will make you remember."

Ashivon purred quietly and reached up slowly to wipe a tear away from her eye. She flinched, but relaxed, making him smile sadly. "You do not hurt me." He hesitated and looked up to Heravon, "I am sorry, but... I remember little before Divinity." The word slipped out of his mouth with the elegance of a newborn foal and Heravon nodded. She looked down, but as she was taller, Ashivon and Sanga could see the tears starting to pour out of her eyes.

She took in a deep, shaky breath, "W-Well... I'll have to tell Ashach, but... We've gone this long without you, Ashivon. We know you're safe and happy... with her, but I'm not... I'm not going to force you away from someone you... somone you clearly care about." She slunk back to Volgen, who took her into her arms. The two women gave each other comfort and Heravon sobbed quietly. Ashivon flinched at the sounds and Sanga squeezed his hand in support.

There was an awkward silence until several minutes later, four soldiers brought out two horse-drawn carts. True to Jamison's word, one of them was missing a few sides, but otherwise operational. Zariath carried Drooden to the one missing sides and put him down. Climbing in after, he offered a hand to Hargens. Jamison and Doc worked out the specifics of the trip with the Hercules commanders and Volgen directed Heravon to the broken cart. Ashivon helped Sanga into the regular one and they settled in, pressing their sides to each other, but not acknowledging it past that. They were still reeling from the fact that Tselah wasn't with their group anymore and Ashivon had just met his mother. It was... it was a lot.

They jolted when Jamison and Doc clamored into the cart and two unknown soldiers climbed in to drive the horse teams. With four horses in total, they would be there by nightfall, Jamison explained. The group nodded and they slipped into a daze.

There would be a great while before they drew themselves out of their thoughts.

Ashivon jolted when he heard another horn blare and he looked up in alarm. It was night, but there was a gloriously illuminated city before him and suddenly, he was hit with  _noise_. He tensed and pressed his back into the hard wood behind him, panting heavily. His ear flick when he hear someone quietly mutter his name. The calling got louder until he realized it was Sanga. She was watching him patiently as they headed closer and closer to the main gates. 

She hadn't dared touched him, but when their eyes finally connected, she smiled, "Hey, focus on me, ok?" Ashivon looked down and Sanga hummed, "Are you ok if I cover your ears?" He hesitated and nodded and Sanga tapped the bench, "Alright, turn towards me." He slowly did so and Sanga made sure her hands were in view as they headed towards his face. Her hands were warm and Ashivon purred weakly as he leaned forward. Sanga smiled and touched their foreheads together, setting her breath to a steady tone. Ashivon quickly matched it and all but entered a trance. He was vaguely aware of the noise and clamor around him, but Sanga just seemed to radiate a confidence and comfort that he would have gladly wrapped himself into all day and night for the rest of his days. His hands went up and wrapped around her wrists, covering the tattoos that he had come to fear so much.

They stayed wrapped up in each other until a small pebble hit Sanga. She jolted and Ashivon instantly stiffened, brought out of his trance. He snarled and looked around for a threat, but only saw the group watching them. Heravon was giving him a heartbroken look and he looked down.. He saw Sanga reach for his hand and she threaded their fingers together. "Hey,"  She whispered. He looked up and she smiled gently. Ashivon smiled back half-heartedly, but it quickly fell. "Hey," Sanga said again, "you're getting better, trust me. Small steps." 

"Small steps," Ashivon repeated, standing slowly. He helped Sanga up and out of the cart. Jamison nodded to the cart drivers and they disappeared back into the city. 

Now that Ashivon and Sanga had a proper look around, they saw it was much grander and much better than Divinity's city. The streets were well-lit, people seemed happy and healthy, and there was just a better feeling in the air. They turned their attention to the castle and gaped. While it was as tall as Divinity's main church, this was a sprawling, gleaming white castle with well kept grounds, but there were crushed spots where people clearly tread or children played. It was more likely the second if the child's chalk drawings on the main building was any indication. Around the castle, there seemed to be several other large buildings, but it was a large grounds in general.

Hargens smiled as she waved them in the main gates, "Hey, c'mon! The Queen isn't going to wait for us forever! If we're lucky, court is still in session!" She raced ahead and Volgen sighed.

She looked to Zariath, "You'd probably be needed more than me. I'll take the kid and Doc to the infirmary if that's alright." 

"It is," He stated. He carefully passed over Drooden, who whined quietly in his sleep. Zariath sighed in guilt and he turned away.

Volgen shook her head and looked between her commander and her comrade, "Idiots. You're all idiots." She nodded to Doc, who nodded back and they headed inside.

Jamison sighed as he stood beside Ashivon, Sanga, and Heravon, "Things are about to get very interesting. Likely, the Queen will have a few questions, but you won't have to do much. As we decide what to do, you'll be given a room with the rest of us for both space and security reasons. This is only until we know what to do with you both. Hurry up." He turned on his heel and Heravon sighed.

"Ashach-" She paused and sighed. "Your father is inside waiting for us. He's a little nervous about seeing you again." She bounded to the door and Ashivon tensed.

Sanga let out a quiet laugh, "Hey, Ashivon? We're going to be fine, ok? I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere-" She was cut off as he nervously bent down and wrapped her into a hug. She held him close as long as he needed, rubbing his back gently. He clutched her close, trying to find any sense of normalcy, even in this unusual display. Everything was different and something told him that things were  _never_ going to be the same.


	22. Understanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are understanding and misunderstandings and understanding understanding. So much standing under to do!
> 
> (Seriously, understanding is said a lot in one section. It's what inspired the chapter title.

Heravon smiled weakly as she held the door open to the castle. Ashivon shrunk as he passed her, but his mother shared a look with Sanga. The two women nodded to each other and Sanga squeezed Ashivon's hand. "Hey, Ashivon, she's not mad, ok?" She said. Ashivon relaxed at her tone and nodded. He stood a little straighter and looked around. Jamison stood near another large door in a white-marble castle and he had several of the others surrounding him.

He nodded, "Remember, the Queen will have us introduced to the court and we will likely be diverted so you can share all you know about Divinity." He uncrossed his arms and took a deep breath, "Any questions?"

"I thought you said we'd be starting a war. I thought I was going to have to get ready to go  _back_ ," Sanga hissed, but it was more in deep annoyance. Ashivon gave her a look and she calmed.

"No, we just need to know exactly what you know. It won't be hard, don't worry," He said. He turned around and started to open the doors.

Sanga frowned in confusion, "Wait, how are you going to do that? I don't think I can remember everything in one sitting!" She cut herself off as the doors fully swung open and Jamison turned to them with a grin on his face.

"Sanga, Ashivon, welcome to my home, the Capital."

It was pandemonium. The sudden intrusion had people protesting loudly, but someone next to the door cleared their throat. Sanga and Ashivon barely managed to look before the woman opened her mouth, "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present..." Ashivon immediately slammed his hands over his ears and Sanga placed herself in front of him, ready to take the first hit again. Her eyes were watching him for any sign of change, but a different voice made her pause.

"Marv, please. Let me handle this," Jamison stated. He cleared his throat, "Introducing survivors of Divinity, Sanga and Ashivon!" He stared at Sanga as his call bounced around the courtroom and she stared at him wide-eyed and it  _clicked_. This  _bastard_ was testing Ashivon earlier. He knew how Ashivon was introduced in the gladiator ring and knew it was the same way he was to be introduced in court. He wanted to know if he had to introduce them differently. He wanted to see how bad Ashivon's episodes were. He easily could have triggered one in the forest when they first met, but... he waited until they were somewhere crowded and pull of trained soldiers who knew how to restrain someone.

That  _bastard._

Sanga relaxed and she smiled up at Ashivon. His eyes searched hers and she nodded. He slowly lowered his hands and looked around curiously. He shrunk into himself once more as he saw everyone staring at him, including... someone who looked exactly like him. His eyes widened and the man smiled gently. He walked up, "Ashivon? I-Is that you?"

"Ashach, before we get too many reunions in place, I'd like to get introductions and everything out of the way before you can relax too much," Someone called from the head of the room. There was a large podium and at the top was a young woman who held a shocking resemblance to... Jamison. With a smaller stature, but the same shiny golden hair, topped with a small tiara, she was almost a spitting image. Her icy blue eyes cut across the courtroom as she glared at her cousin-in-law- "Brother, do you have your reports?"

Jamison sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Gabrielle, I would have greatly preferred that information not come out-"

"Had it been me or a fly on the wall, someone would have said it. Like I said, I don't want another word out of anyone until we learn exactly what happened-" The woman was cut off as several people in the room gagged and began to run for the bathrooms. The queen's eyes widened and she glowered at a man across the room. "Jermond, why didn't you say anything?"

"I-I'm still processing, My Queen," He said, covering his mouth. He strode across the room and went to stand near the podium's base. "I-I... We need to do this now so we can tell them. I am  _not_ going to let them suffer like this." He looked up and the Queen nodded with a tight look.

She sighed and cast her gaze back over the court. "Heravon, Ashach, I know you've been away from your son for a while, but can you-"

Jermond held up a hand, "T-They have something they need to know, My Queen. Please. I can divulge to you later, but there is information that needs to be known and then shared  _now_." The Queen wasted no time in nodding and waving everyone into a side room. Sanga gave Jamison a look of permission, one that he nodded to. He gestured her forward and she nodded. She grabbed Ashivon's hand gently and guided him to the room. His tail lashed behind him. He didn't understand what was going on, so once again, he returned to his way of understanding: understanding Sanga's understanding.

Gabrielle led them into a large room with maps lining the walls and a long table that stretched the room. There were two guards, one human and one Intseh, beside where Gabrielle went to sit, and she pointed to two seats across the table. Sanga nodded and went to one. She pulled out the chair for Ashivon and he nodded his thanks. They pulled themselves in and Jermond sighed. A quiet click let them know that the door closed and Ashivon's parents went to take a seat at the table. Ashivon swallowed and wrapped his tail around Sanga's ankle in a poor attempt to calm himself. She grabbed his hand under the table and he finally relaxed.

"So, I have an inkling what's been going on, but... Ma'am?" Jermond said. Gabrielle nodded and pat the seat next to her.

"You're looking sick, Jerry. If I have to drag you to the infirmary again because you hit your head passing out, I am making you sit out for a week," She retorted and the man did quickly. He took a deep breath and nodded. Gabrielle caught the motion and looked back at the two. "So, Divinity. What exactly happened? I want  _everything_ and I  _will_ know if you lie to me. Nothing is too gory-"

Jermond gagged as he covered his mouth. His eyes turned to Sanga and he gasped, "What did they make him do?"

Sanga swallowed and her face twisted. Ashivon seemed to understand that much and he looked up, "They make me kill." Jermond turned green and he got up to run for the trash can in the corner of the room. Heravon growled lowly and Ashach frowned, but it only made Ashivon duck his head. Sanga squeezed his hand in support.

Gabrielle stared and she sighed. "This might take a while... Jermond, let me know when you're ready to continue." 

"P-Physical and m-mentl are two different things-" He cut himself off as he started to throw up again. Gabrielle nodded and she faced the two guests once more.

"How many?" She asked, glaring at the two.

Ashivon shook his head, "Too many."

Sanga sighed, "It was in the high hundreds-" Heravon froze and she sobbed. Gabrielle's head snapped over to Jermond and he nodded, still bent over the trash can. He seemed to have resorted to dry heaving at that point.

The queen swallowed thickly, "How did they make you kill, Ashivon?"

"They put him a gladiator pit. He had no choice in the matter; either he or his contender were coming out alive, but not both. If he didn't want to fight, they... Divinity has a script that overrides his free will and they forced him to," Sanga provided. She covered one of his hands with both of her's and he shook at the memories.

Gabrielle hummed, "Alright. Jermond, do you have enough on that?"

"I-I have enough on e-everything. B-But, H-Heravon, Ashach, t-there's something you need to know," He said, finally standing up. He took a handkerchief out of his pocket and dabbed at his mouth and nose. He sighed and once again took a seat next to Gabrielle. "Heravon, Ashach, I hate to say this, but I remember what your memories of your son were like, and in all but blood, he and this Ashivon are two different people. Mentally, he is not the son you raised. He is a practical stranger."

Sanga glowered at him, "That's harsh. You have no  _idea_ what Ashivon did to get back here-"

"Yes, but he's remembering a feeling, something that's just an echo at this point. He doesn't truly remember his parents. They're strangers to each other," Jermond stated. He sighed, "Besides, I don't think you two will ever be able to properly integrate back into society. Ashivon is always walking a constant wire's edge and I can tell there are triggers that not even you two are aware of yet."

"You don't know that-" Sanga bit, and Ashivon snarled loudly. The guards next to Gabrielle stiffened and he pinned his ears back.

Gabrielle knocked on the table, "Please. Sanga, trust me, he  _does_ know. He knows everything about people that they know themselves, even stuff that they might not even realize. Jermond, do you have a solution?"

He took a deep breath and coughed, "In complete honesty? These two care about each other a great deal and trust each other explicitly. There are only a few others who have that level of trust, and yes, the cat and the chatterbox are some of them, but the closest I can put a label on is... probably soulmates." Ashach sucked in a sharp breath and Sanga gaped.

"Wait, are you saying-"

"You two might not have the specifics worked out, but you have the connection. You may be romantic soul mates or platonic soulmates, but you do care for each other," He stated confidently. He looked to Gabrielle, "My suggestion is to let them live out their days on Sunspark peak. All in all..."

"Jermond, don't do it," The queen groaned, but he was already clearing his throat.

In the sassiest voice he could apparently muster, he stated, "They haven't told each other directly, but they do deeply care for each other in a way that can't be put into words other than 'they're soulmates' and they just want to live alone on the top of a mountain and farm and have a dozen goats and seventeen cats and live happily ever after."

Sanga coughed and admittedly a laugh bubbled out of her throat, "W-What?"

"Damnit, Jermond, you always do this," Gabrielle stated. She sighed and looked up, "Well, would you like that? You could be far enough away from civilization that no one could find you without set instructions, but still close enough that you could make a day's round trip for supplies."

She shrugged, "I know a few things about farming, cooking and this and that, but... It's not just my decision to make." She looked at Ashivon. "Do you want to live away from people? I will stay with you."

Ashivon nodded, "I need you, Sanga." He pressed his forehead to the crown of her head and purred loudly. She smiled weakly and looked up.

"Do you want your parents to come a little? You might not know them much, but you can get to know them again," She recommended. Ashivon paused and nodded again. Heravon cried quietly and she purred quietly as she leaned onto Ashach. He held her close and cried. They were still going to be able to see their son, but... just how much exactly did he retain? They were a little worried to find out.

Sanga swallowed, "So, what happens now?"

Gabrielle cleared her throat, "So now, we're going to let you two stay here until we remove Divinity as the ruling head of the city, help them set up a new one, build you two a home, and help you move in. We'll help get you two enough food until next spring as well, and make weekly trips to make sure you're ok, but you'll have to take care of yourselves. We can get you some cows, a few goats,some chickens, and a few other things, but you two  _will_ be responsible for yourselves, do you understand?"

Sanga shared a look with Ashivon and she worked so  _hard_ to ignore the implications of what their future was going to be now. She nodded and he did as well, even if he didn't completely understand. What he did understand was that Sanga was going to stay with him and he was going to be away from people. He knew Sanga would take care of him. He would do everything to keep her safe, even if sometimes... it would be from himself.

"We understand."


	23. Kiss Kiss Fall In Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I had to and the chapter title explains it all

Sanga stretched as she headed down for bed. Gabrielle had set everyone in a large collective room. Hargens was laughing and joking with Drooden and Volgen, Doc was talking to Jamison, and Zariath was watching everyone from his corner of the room. There were a total of twelve beds, all well cared for, suggesting this was a traveler's room. There was also a large mattress in the corner, spanning 10 feet from each corner, and Ashivon's parents sat on it. Ashach was curled in his wife's arms, and neither  took their eyes off Ashivon for a moment. 

He was sitting on the bed, watching Sanga and purring quietly. "What are goats and cats?"

Sanga smiled as she finished her toe-touches, "Goats are... They're furry, four legged creatures that have horns and eat everything in sight. They also produce slightly sweeter milk than a cow. A cat is also a small four-legged creature, but they're more of a pet. They kinda remind me of you-"

"Are you calling my son a cat?" Heravon hissed. Ashivon tensed and he looked at her in alarm. She shrunk back and Ashach nuzzled her neck gently.

"It's supposed to be a compliment, Hutlah," He soothed.

She grumbled, "It's still an insult."

Ashivon blinked and looked at Sanga, "Is it?"

She hesitated, "It can be. It's how it's used."

"You fucking  _ape_ ," Volgen hissed. Her eyes were set on Sanga and Ashivon frowned in confusion. What had Sanga done? He didn't have to question it as Volgen looked at him, "That, Ashivon, was an insult. It's when you want to hurt someone or make them seem smaller in a mean way."

Sanga nodded, "I don't appreciate being called an ape, but yeah, good point. Is someone going to explain compliments?" To this, Hargens grinned and stood to jump up and down on the bed. Drooden squawked as he was almost knocked over.

Volgen rolled her eyes, "You little monkey, knock it off." Hargens giggled and, halfway through a bounce, let herself fall back so she landed on her back. The bed still bounced a little, but it settled enough for Drooden to sit back down.

"Actually, Sanga, you kind of remind me of a cat yourself," Hargens said, looking over. Sanga crossed her arms and raised any eyebrow, waiting. The soldier smiled, "You're so defensive of people you care for! You're like a mama cat! You aren't afraid to cuddle someone and it's just so... you! You're a kitten!"

"Thanks," Sanga said dryly, and Ashivon chuckled. 

"What's a kitten?" He mused.

"Where have you been, Ashfa?" Ashach asked quietly. His tone silenced the room as they realized that the parents didn't know the specifics. No one knew the specifics.

Jamison cleared his throat, "We will leave that for later. The minders will explain the story later." Whatever 'minders' were, it seemed to make sense for everyone else, but Sanga and Ashivon shared a look.

She frowned, "What are minders? People keep bringing them up." Hargens opened her mouth, but Jamison gave her a glare so harsh that Ashivon felt it from his place across the room and withered. Hargens shrunk and nodded.

"Sir," Zariath called from the other end of the room. Jamison relaxed and sighed.

"I want everyone to get some rest. The announcement will come tomorrow and arrangements will be made for everyone. We're going to talk about our options tomorrow," He said.

Sanga glowered at him, "I thought you said we wouldn't have to give any presentations or anything."

He stared at her, "You won't. You're going to have to trust me, Sanga." His stance was patient, even if his voice was harsh. Sanga recognized the look and backed down. She went to sit next to Ashivon, barely letting their elbows touch. His tail curled around her side and she hummed. Ashivon took that as permission and sat closer, curling her under his chin. She relaxed slightly and took his hand, tracing small, familiar signs into it. He eventually took his hand back and started to do the same. They took turns with their game and they chuckled.

Doc cleared his throat, "Breakfas' is goin' to be early. I sugges' we all ge' some rest." He stood and headed for a bed against the wall and bunkered down for the night. Jamison chose the bed across from him and from there, everyone chose their beds. Sanga and Ashivon hesitated, but Volgen sighed and ushered them to the mattress in the corner. Heravon and Ashach blinked and the soldier sighed. 

"He's a little clingy and don't try to wake him. He's... It's not pretty," She explained. Heravon and Ashach looked at their son in worry, but Sanga took his hand and pat the mattress. He sat down on it and quickly flopped over. He stretched happily and the parents swallowed. Ashach cleared his throat to get Ashivon's attention. Their eyes met and he carefully reached a hand out. Ashivon watched him carefully, even letting his dad touch a spot behind his ear. 

As Ashach began to scratch the spot, Ashivon melted. He purred loudly, sinking into the mattress. Heravon sobbed as she watched her son lean into her husband's hand. "Y-You haven't lost that, have you?"

Ashivon didn't seem to hear her, but Sanga watched and smiled, "I guess Jermond was kinda wrong."

"He's still our son, girlie," Heravon hissed. Sanga bowed her head, and settled down. Her back was to the family, not that anyone noticed. Ashivon slowly drifted to sleep as his dad used an old trick that used to get his son to sleep. He didn't get any closer to Sanga, not until later in the night. It hurt the parents slightly to wake up to him curled around Sanga.

* * *

Sanga was munching on her toast next to Ashivon when someone snuck up behind her and wrapped their arms around her waist. She screamed in alarm and twirled around, throwing a fist. The offender barely managed to dodge, but Hargens winced as it caught her ear. Sanga gasped, "Hargens, I'm sor-"

"I earned it, I forgot how jumpy you can be in the mornings," She winced, rubbing her brightening ear. Sanga relaxed and sighed.

"I'm still sorry," She said, slumping. Hargens shrugged and went to the other side of the table.

She grabbed some strawberries and some sugar, "Like I said, it's no big deal. Let's kiss and make up."

Sanga choked on her toast, "Wait, what?" She pounded on her chest, making Ashivon jump. 

"You ok?" He asked through a full mouth.

She nodded, "D-Don't talk with your mouth full, Ash." She cleared her throat, "I'm sorry, Hargens, what did you say?"

The other woman shrugged, "What? It's a saying!" She paused, "Wait, have you never kissed anyone? Not even on the cheek or something?"

She shook her head, "Not... really? Maybe on the cheek and between friends, but there was nothing romantic about it or anything-"

Before she could finish her thought, Hargens had launched herself over the table, clasped Sanga's jawline, and kissed her as deeply as she could without opening either of their mouths. Sanga was wide-eyed, but she wasn't protesting. She seemed... frazzled... to Ashivon, more than anything. He blinked at the odd display, but he tensed as Sanga finally reacted.

She pushed Hargens back, "R-Ray, y-you can't just kiss someone!"

She shrugged, "What? We're friends and I didn't mean it like that, and I..." She caught sight of Ashivon staring and grinned. "Hey, Ashivon, do you want to try it?"

"Hargens!" Sanga hissed, but there was a large blush covering her face. She didn't seem angry, and Ashivon had known her long enough to know she wasn't... She wasn't angry. She was...something, but it wasn't bad. He faintly registered the others coming to sit down, but it wasn't anything to be concerned about.

Hargens laughed and pointed at Sanga, "Try it! I think you two will enjoy it!"

"Hargens!" Sanga hissed again, but Ashivon turned to her.

She looked up and he cocked his head, "Kiss?" Sanga's face turned a shade redder, and they both could hear Hargens dying of laughter. Sanga saw the head tilt and died inside. She'd never be able to say no to that face...

"Fine, but... just one," She agreed. Ashivon blinked and leaned down. Their noses leaned on each other and their breath mixed and... their lips met. Sanga leaned into it slightly, curious over the new mouth, of someone she actually, genuinely cared for, and her face grew hotter.

Ashivon purred happily, his tail curling and uncurling, furling and unfurling on the chair. This was something new for him, but he enjoyed it. Sanga leaned more into him and it caused a slightly different angle. He shifted and his purrs intensified. "Ok, you two, that's enough," Zariath scolded from behind Ashivon. "You're making Volgen sick." They pulled away and Sanga coughed, curling into herself and Ashivon was just _glowing_. He was purring loudly and leaning on Sanga, wrapping himself around her.

"You two make me  _sick_ ," Volgen hissed, pretending to throw up. She glowered at Hargens, "I don't know how, but you're involved in this."

Hargens giggled, but it grew louder as Ashivon leaned to kiss Sanga again, but her face turned at the last second so it only landed on her cheek. He pouted, but smiled at the blush on her face.

"You two are so adorable!" Rayshal squealed and Drooden rolled his eyes and he plopped down into the seat.

"It's too early for this, Hargens. You couldn't have waited until lunch?" He sighed and looked and Ashivon, "Try asking Sanga before kissing her. She might be happier if you do."

Ashivon blinked and lit up at Sanga, "Kiss?" 

She blushed harder, "Maybe later. I promise." She curled into herself, but Ashivon plopped his chin on top of her head happily. He didn't know why, but kissing just made him happy.


	24. Love is...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashivon and Hargens have a talk

They heard it when they were at lunch. The Queen had pressed them to stay in their room or in the dining hall, but had warned them about what they were going to hear. They might accidentally hear their story being retold, something Sanga had again questioned how they knew.

Gabrielle pursed her lips but asked Sanga to trust her. The former nun glowered, but backed down. Ashivon grew tensed, but Sanga forced herself to sigh and relax. Her hand hovered over his before she laced their fingers together. They missed the Queen's cautious glance to Jermond and his relaxed nod. The Queen relaxed slightly, but dismissed them. After all, there was no reason they should be held from lunch.

When Sanga heard one of the old chants being recited, she choked on her salad and looked out an open window. Ashivon's gaze turned to her in surprise, but she looked more scared than... well, almost ever. It wasn't the look of terror someone wore when they were going to be hurt physically, but socially and mentally. Her eyes caught his and she ushered him to sit next on the bench next to her. She crossed her legs and slowly moved to grab his face, letting him know she was going to do that. He relaxed into her hold, not questioning as she covered his ears and hummed her song. 

She cried quietly as she heard everything being told, all of the darkest things she had ever seen in the Sanctuary, all of the most secret things she had ever seen, all of the happiest times she had ever had. It was everything. It was every injury she ever had to heal on Ashivon, it was every time she saw a terrified prisoner who she knew was going to face down the executioner, whether it had been the old Executioner or Ashivon. It was the most memorable kills Ashivon had done. 

Sanga knew he could hear past her hands when he took a sharp intake of breath when the discussed the death of the small red haired child. She stopped humming and instead began to sing the tune out loud. Ashivon joined in, understanding now why she was doing this. He purred loudly, trying to block out the sound of the announcer and the cries of outrage that bounced around... whatever arena the crowd was in. They had started crying at some point and when one of them fell to sobs, the other did their best to pick up the slack.

After nearly four hours, it was done and they had long since grown drowsy. Ashivon had encompassed Sanga in his arms, mostly asleep at that point with the singing woman in his arms, trying not to choke on exhausted sobs. When she heard Gabrielle's voice, she hesitated. " ** _YOU ARE THE FIRST OF OUR KINGDOM TO HEAR THE COMPLETE STORY, OF A TAKEN AND A REJECT. WE REJOICE IN THEIR COURAGE TO MAKE IT BACK TO OUR KINGDOM AND WE WILL DO EVERYTHING WITHIN OUR POWER TO ENSURE THAN THIS KIND OF HORROR NEVER HAPPENS WITHIN OUR LIFETIME, WITHIN OUR CHILDREN'S LIFETIME, AND OUR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN'S LIFETIMES. WE WILL NOT STAND BY AS CHILDREN ARE SACRIFICED AND TAKEN FROM THEIR HOMES, THEIR BEDS, THEIR FAMILIES, AND USED AS MAGICAL ENERGY AND A SLAUGHTERING TOOL FOR A CORRUPT INSTITUTION. INTSEH OF THE FOUR KINGDOMS, FENRIANS OF THE HUMAN RACES, CHILDREN OF BOTH LANDS, WILL YOU JOIN US IN OUR_** _ **ENDEAVORS**?"_

Sanga let herself drift off to the sound of cheers of agreement. She had brought war to her home and her family.

It was like this, curled in each other's arms and asleep, that they were found, tear stains still carving gouges into their faces.

* * *

Hargens was quiet when they woke up, still at the table. She had evidently sat guard, picking at her food when Ashivon awoke first. He groaned and shifted upward, off of Sanga. He swallowed and winced at his dry throat, but Hargens passed him a glass. He nodded his thanks and sipped slowly. "Thank you-"

"I'm sorry," She cut off, looking down. Ashivon frowned in confusion, but she shook her head, "S-Sanga might understand more when she gets up, but... Divinity messed with my family too. My mom... She went in, yes, but... Divinity killed a part of her. You never knew her, but... She was more  _alive_ from what I remember of her. Divinity was brought into my home and now... we're going into Sanga's, and to some degree, yours." Ashivon frowned and Hargens sighed. "I know that it's not a home for you, not from what I heard, but-"

"It have memories," He said, looking down at Sanga. "Not all good, but most bad. I... I know Sanga loved home and family, but they were not all good. I will try and make her happy, but..."

"But it's going to take time. She's given up a lot to do this," She whispered. Ashivon pinned his ears back as he understood what she meant. Sanga had given up literally everything to bring him back here and now, she was going to live alone, well, with him, but he's learned that one person is not the best companion. You need many friends to stay sane. He couldn't believe he hadn't thought about it like that before, but... she was doing it for what? Just for him?

Sanga grumbled in her sleep and leaned in closer to him and Hargens smiled. "She's done it all for you, Ashivon. She chose this, not out of guilt, but... I can tell she loves you."

"Love?" Ashivon asked quietly, not wanting to disturb Sanga.

Hargens nodded, "Love is... wanting to be with something or someone constantly. Wanting to keep it safe, wanting it to be a permanent part of your life. I love my family and... I love the service, I love helping people, and there are more things that I love. There are different kinds of love too. There's the love you hold for possessions, the love you have for a friend-"

"Kiss?" Ashivon asked.

Hargens chuckled, "Sometimes. Love for a friend is... different than love for a partner. Love for a partner is wanting to spend every moment with them, even if... It's more intense than anything you will feel in your life. There are things you do with love partners and things you do with friends, but I can tell Sanga loves you."

"Friend or partner?" He asked.

Hargens shrugged, "I don't know, you'll maybe never find out which, but... sometimes you don't need to name what you have. What you and Sanga have doesn't exactly have a name, but... it's beautiful, Ashivon. Keep it close and keep it safe. Do that and you'll be the happiest you'll ever be. Now c'mon, we have to get you settled. The Platoons are moving out tonight at midnight and we don't want to leave you and Sanga here or without instructions." She got up and packed some food in a small bag and began to head out. Ashivon seemed to understand what she wanted and picked up Sanga gently, purring quietly and she sighed happily, curling into his chest. 

Hargens smiled at the soft look on his face, knowing where she had seen that face before, and knowing who she was facing when she had worn it herself. She shook her head of the thoughts and headed out, mentally preparing herself for war.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so short, but my patience is nothing anymore and this honestly just seemed like it should be its own chapter


	25. Sleepless Pains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm sick and suffering and all you have to too.
> 
> There is 'coming back from war' content and resulting injuries including permanent disabilities gained from it. You have been warned.

When Sanga woke up the next morning, the communal room they had stayed in the night before was empty. Ashivon was sitting up with her head on his lap, running his fingers through her hair gently, not really paying attention. He looked down when Sanga moved, "Good morning." He moved his hand as Sanga pushed herself up. She looked around and frowned sleepily. She stretched and Ashivon smiled. "They leave last night. You sleep for a long time," He said.

Sanga frowned, "Wait, what? Who left?"

Ashivon shrugged, "Everyone. There are a few people left, but fighters left for Sanctuary. Mom and Dad went home to get stuff." Sanga tensed and she pulled her knees close to herself.

"Oh," Was all she said. Ashivon watched her sadly and purred, nuzzling her slightly. Sanga shied away slightly and Ashivon frowned in worry. Even when he hurt her, she had never brushed him off like that... Did he do something wrong? Did he not do something? Sanga seemed to pick up on his attitude and tucked her head between her knees and her chest, "Ash, I... I just want some space." He frowned, but there was a knock on the door. It creaked open and Volgen peeked her head in and she frowned. 

"Oh, good you're both awake," She grumbled, going to her own bed. She yawned and sat on it, peeking up only when she didn't hear anything from Sanga or Ashivon. She frowned more when she saw Sanga trying to block the world out and Ashivon looking lost. She sighed, "Look, Sanga-"

Her head snapped up, "I don't want to talk, Volgen." She paused as she recognized her tone and shrunk again. Ashivon opened his mouth, but he closed it again. He looked confused and Volgen sighed. She pushed herself up and jerked her head to the door.

"I'll walk you around. Let's give her some space," She grunted, heading to the door. Ashivon looked between her and Sanga, but Sanga curled up more. He frowned and shook his head. 

He looked up and gave Volgen a tight look, "I want to stay here."

Volgen looked them over and sighed. She ran a hand through her hair and hummed, "Fine. Ashivon, I'd suggest finding something to do because Sanga's going to need time to think." She went back to her bed and all but threw herself into it. Looking over her shoulder one more time, the bitter old woman hissed, "If you two wake me up, you're going to regret it."

"Yes, ma'am," Sanga whispered and she started to tremble. Ashivon didn't need to see the tears to know she was crying as she remembered her childhood and held the understanding that it was going under siege. He whined quietly, but for once, there was no comfort Ashivon could give. He just tried to purr louder than her whimpers let out and kept his tail wrapped around her ankle. He didn't risk touching her otherwise out of fear of retribution. He didn't know how Sanga would react like this, but if she got angry... he didn't want to think about what he would do.

* * *

Over the next 3 weeks, Sanga started to spiral. She didn't get much sleep and what she did get, it was fitful. Ashivon brought her food and watched as she merely nibbled on it, but he also saw she was picking up an old habit; Sanga was starting to scratch on metal and on the bottoms of her shoes again. It was a habit he saw she had picked up a while back, but she only did it when she was super stressed. 

On day four, Volgen decided she had enough of Ashivon's half-hearted purrs, even as he was starting to lose the ability from the constant exercise on his vocal cords, and Sanga's crying. He eyes were slowly fading and Volgen snarled one day. Sanga had been scratching on the bed post and Volgen suddenly looked up. She glowered, "When was the last time you took a bath?"

Sanga didn't answer and Volgen threw down her book and marched over. Ashivon looked over in alarm, but Volgen gave him a warning look. It sent a cold touch through his heart as the woman approached his... Sanga. "Close your eyes and cover your ears, Ashivon. We'll be back soon," Volgen hissed as she made it to their bed. Ashivon swallowed, but he did as she asked when Sanga didn't move.

Volgen snarled as she stood before Sanga, "Oi, do you even see what you're doing around you?" Sanga didn't answer. Volgen's glare grew worse, "Ashivon's suffering and you look like you're dying." She still didn't answer. Volgen roared and grabbed her hair and started to drag Sanga out. Sanga screamed as she clawed at the intseh's hand.

"Lemme go-"

Volgen didn't dare as she threw open the door, "I will when you get your shit together." She dragged Sanga after her, registering that Ashivon had opened his eyes and was now following them. He looked angry, but... submitting. It unnerved the eldest, but she had bigger problems to deal with. She dragged the screaming and howling nun out to the horse stables and only stopped int front of the water pool. With a push, Volgen threw Sanga in. It wasn't very deep, but Sanga still sputtered as she tried to get her bearings.

"What are you doing?"Ashivon hissed as he toed his way in to help. Sanga managed to stand and she glared at Volgen.

"You're losing your mind, Sanga. You need a wake up call. Ashivon's almost losing his voice trying to comfort you, and your head is still stuck in worrying about your home!" Volgen shouted. Sanga clenched her fists, but only glared at Volgen. To the woman's worry, the faded look wasn't gone, but what emotion did get through burned. "We get it, you miss your home, but it's full of murderers, hypocrites, and dictators! Get over it!"

"You didn't know what it was like growing up there!" Sanga shouted, some of her first words in the past few days. Ashivon offered her a hand to get out of the pool, one she gladly took. She stood toe-to-toe with Volgen. "I grew up there, I suffered there and I have most of my memories there!" She seemed to slip back into her memories and she slumped, "I'm worried, Volgen. About friends. They were some of the closest family I had. I've known you all for... what, a week?"

Volgen just stared, letting her continue. Sanga let her head dip lower. "I miss Pennyroyal, and she's dead. I'm worried about Samwise, and Capillus, and everyone, and... I'm scared Fenry's going to get in there and kill them. I-I... I don't want my family dead..." She started to cry again and this time, when Ashivon laid his hand on her shoulder, she leaned into it and let Ashivon wrap his arms around her. He glared at Volgen, but his gaze softened as their eyes met. Volgen's eyes were patient. 

He nodded silently to her and she nodded back. She tapped the top of Sanga's head twice, "Have some faith in us. Fenry doesn't want any blood spilled and they'll only have to if it's absolutely necessary."

"T-Th-That's w-wh-what I-I'm afraid o-of," Sanga sobbed. Ashivon rubbed her back gently and moved to pick her up. She flinched at first, but let herself curl into his arms. Volgen led them back and made sure Sanga had a proper chance to clean off and get a clean pair of clothes. Ashivon waited outside the whole time, listening to Sanga wash up. Volgen merely shook her head in weak amusement, but made sure they were taken care of. Sanga and Ashivon got put down for a nap and Volgen disappeared.

When they woke up, there was a basket of food and a coloring book and wax crayons. Sanga took to it easily, filling the pages over the next few days. There would be times where she'd apparently color outside a line and she'd rip out and crumble the page, or she'd go off her hinge and scribble across the page, but mostly, she was quiet, leaning on Ashivon and humming quietly. He spent his time watching her, or listening to Volgen either teach or talk in her sleep.

All in all, the fourth day was a wake-up call, but things reverted after it. The platoons returned two and a half weeks after it.

* * *

When a huge commotion was heard outside the room, Sanga looked up sharply and scrambled out of Ashivon's lap. He stiffened at the sudden movement, but got up after her. Despite not moving much in the past three weeks, Sanga was surprisingly fast as she raced through the halls to the courtyard. What she saw made her heart stop. The troops had returned and they all had haunted looks in their eyes. Some were heavily bandaged, and even a rare few had to be supported on a remaining leg, or were clutching their handless arm to their chest, but... They looked beaten down. There were lines of prisoners trailing behind them, many of them Sanga recognized. 

A few noticed her and started shouting. The Divine roared, but nearby intseh roared. Instantly, they shied down, but there was someone who continued to shout at her. 

"Bloody! Bloody! You're ok!" Two people called and she looked around. A mop of of dark red hair caught her eyes and she raced forward. Two men grinned at her, side by side, as she caught them in a hug. Sanga sobbed as she held them close. They trembled as they began to cry as well. The lines didn't stop, so they had to keep moving, but she laughed as they called her all her stupid nicknames. "San." "Bloody." "Gary." "Sangria."

"Samwise, Capillus," She whispered, holding them close.

Samwise pulled away and smiled at her, "H-How have you been since you got out?" 

"H-How's A-Ashivon?" Capillus asked with his ever present stutter. Sanga shrank back again.

She clenched her fists, "I-I... I don't think I..." A hand landed on her shoulder and she looked to see Ashivon smiling at her. Several Divine seemed to recognize him and screamed with fear, but Capillus smiled. 

He waved with what little arm mobility he could, "H-Hello a-ag-again?"

Ashivon looked up and he lit up, "Hairy!" Capillus chuckled and nodded, even as Samwise gave him a terrified look.

"Wait, you weren't kidding-"

" ** _Sanga! Ashivon!_** " They jumped as they heard a harsh voice bark. Jamison was glaring from across the courtyard and Sanga got one more look at her old friends before she slunk over. Ashivon walked behind her more confidently, but he still looked around nervously. Jamison continued to glare at them as they got closer, but there was a tired and sad look in his eyes. He sighed, "Report back to the room. I had the others pulled from their stations and they'll meet you in there." He waved them off and Sanga and Ashivon nodded, leaving. It was only when the light hit his eyes a certain way did they realize that his left eye was unfocused. There was a thin scar running down his face now. Sanga and Ashivon shared a worried look. If the Prince was blind in an eye... how would the rest of the group look?

They were answered when they walked in and saw Volgen cradling Hargens close as they sobbed. Zariath kept himself pressed to the woman's side and Drooden sat behind Volgen. There was a haunted look in the teen's eyes as he looked up. He swallowed, "You... You seem so normal... How?" He shook his head and leaned into Volgen's back. Volgen was openly sobbing as she held Hargens close, kissing her forehead and running her hand over her hair. It was only when they got closer that Sanga and Ashivon again realized how much had been taken from the group.

The tuff on Zariath's tail was gone and then end of his tail now looks singed, as well as several scars wrapping around his limbs, showing he was likely wrapped in light whips. Drooden had several similar bruises around his neck and arms and there were several long scars scattered across his limbs. There was no telling what was under his skin. But Hargens? She was sobbing as she clutched her stump of a leg. It ended a few inches above her knee. Sanga knew it wasn't by any weapons of Divinity. Her guess? Something destroyed her leg and it had to be amputated. 

Zariath looked up at them and quickly back down. "Now I know why you didn't want intseh to go, Sanga. E-Everyone..."

Drooden shook as tears poured down his face, "Everyone started screaming. Elders, parents, children... Divinity used them as c-civilian soldiers... O-ordered them t-to d-defend o-or r-risk death -or rej-rejection from t-the Saint..."

Ashivon looked around, "Where's Doc?"

"He's working on getting everyone healed in the med bay," Jamison stated as he came into the room. Sanga and Ashivon moved aside for him and he nodded, walking over to his group. He knelt before them, looking at Hargens' leg in anger and pity. "But he's wearing himself thin. His work is getting sloppy, and well..." He tapped his left eye and Zariath lifted an arm with several spirals going down it. The human commander sighed, "I'm not going to lie, it was a blood bath. We didn't lose too many, but there were a lot of injuries." Sanga paled and she trembled. Ashivon tucked her under his arm and looked at the prince.

"Can we wait? We all need rest," He said. Jamison nodded weakly and looked at Zariath.

"Keep an eye on them and I'll see what I can do about getting Hargens a phantom replacement," He whispered. Zariath stiffened and nodded, looking back over the group. He opened an arm and nodded to Drooden and Volgen. They nodded back and carefully shifted into his arms, all clumping together. The rest of the group didn't know what was going on, but it was clear that this group was more than just friends. They were family and a comfort system at that. 

Sanga looked at Hargens' missing leg and gagged, suddenly running out. Ashivon didn't need to guess to know she was running to the bathroom. He couldn't believe that this kingdom was willing to go through so much pain, just for some intseh children.

"It's so much more than that," A quiet voice said. Ashivon whirled around and Jermond nodded as he leaned on the door. "Divinity broke away from Fenry a few hundred years ago. In some ways, Fenrians still view Divinity's citizens as their brothers and sisters, but other than the traditions that the Church imposed, they're still the same people, the same culture. They believe in making sure everyone gets another chance. There's a reason serving in the military is a second chance for everyone who messes up; it's a second chance. If you kill your brother, you get sent to the nearest platoon so they can set you straight, not some murder pit."

He laughed weakly, "Even our motto doesn't differentiate from one group to another. 'We are one family, one blood! Together we are one, divided we are not.' We're all people, we all have emotions, and we all bleed the same blood. Together we're at our strongest, and divided, we're detatched. We support each other, we don't cut each other down." Ashivon listened to the analysis and looked back to the four. Hargens was tucked in the middle of it all, but they were still supporting each other, making sure no one fell off the bed or out of each other's arms.

"One love?" Ashivon asked and Jermond laughed again, nodding.

"Exactly. Everything will be worked out, but the Queen asked me to come tell you that now that's taken care of, your home is almost ready. Your parents have actually been decorating it for you and Sanga and they said it'll be ready in another week or two," He said. Ashivon nodded, but he looked around for Sanga. Jermond smiled again, "She'll be back and I'll find you all again during dinner." He nodded and left, leaving no sign he had ever been there. 

Ashivon sighed and looked back to the group. This would take a long time to heal, even without the injuries. He could only guess how many times they'd each wake up screaming, only to trigger the others. It was maddening every time and it took all of Sanga's patience and Ashivon's willpower to stop him from falling into an episode each time. No one got much sleep.


	26. May what's missing be replaced

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone deals with the aftermath and Hargens gets two things that she wasn't expecting

Good news came in the morning when Volgen gently started to urge Drooden out the door, "Kits need food. I'll join you soon." He nodded weakly, but only trailed after her. Volgen offered her tail and Drooden gently latched onto it so he could follow her. Volgen moved onto Zariath and noticed his eyes were open. She waved to get his attention and nodded slightly when he lifted an eyebrow. He got up and padded over to Hargens' bed. She was the only one still trying to get any sleep, but her only leg left was pulled to her chest as she trembled. Zariath sat on the foot of the bed and sighed.

He pressed his hand down on the bed and bounced the material several times, "Rayshal, hey, we need you to wake up. Rayshal." He continued to gently try and wake her without touching her. After a few moments, she sat up sharply with a loud cry and looked around in fear. She sighed as she realized where she was and curled up into herself. "Rayshal," Zariath said quietly. She looked up and swallowed.

"Hey, Zeze... Is Volgen get everyone to breakfast?" She asked. He nodded and smiled when Hargens held out her arms. He carefully moved to pick her up and she looked so small, all curled up in his arms. She fiddled with the bandages covering the stump and Zariath's tuffless tail swat the back of her hand. She pouted, but he sighed. Her face relaxed and she trembled, "I-I'm sorry, Zeze, i-if I had been faster-"

"If you had been faster, it wouldn't have just been your leg that got crushed," He responded. Zariath sighed and shared a look with Volgen. The woman nodded and he looked back to Hargens. He paused, "Jamison's going to want to talk to everyone when everyone's in the mess hall." She nodded weakly. Zariath looked up reluctantly and to Sanga and Ashivon, "You two are coming as well. The conversation includes you two as well." The two in question shared a look, but they followed. They trailed behind Zariath, noticing his balance was a little off as he would have to correct himself. Volgen swallowed each time and Drooden grabbed his elbow uncertainly. 

Ashivon looked at everyone and he remembered the look in everyone's eyes. He had seen it every time he kept his head bowed as the Divine threw water on him to wash the blood off. He saw it in the puddles of blood that pooled under each downed opponent. He saw it in his friends' eyes now.

He swallowed, "How many?"

Drooden looked up, "H-How did you- Oh." He looked down and cried, "I had to h-hurt two kids, a-a brother and sister. T-They were going to kill J-Jamison and-and... Graces..." He sobbed and Volgen shushed him, bringing him into a hug. She glared at Ashivon, who ducked his head. Drooden looked past his friend, "D-Does it g-get easier? T-The memories?"

Ashivon blinked and slowly nodded, "You come to accept it." Drooden nodded and curled his arms around Volgen. She shushed him again, burying a hand in his hair to pet him gently. She whispered sweet nothings to him, not stopping until he stopped crying. They rejoined the group, no one having moved while she calmed the teenager down.

When they got to the dining room, they sat at their usual table and instantly, they tore into the tasty hot food. It almost shocked them, until they forgot that good warm food would have been a little uncommon. Sanga and Ashivon waited until their hands stopped grabbing to get their own breakfast. After several minuted of them eating, they sat in silence and they all jumped when someone cleared their throat.

Jamison stood there nervously, holding a small vial of a pale yellow liquid that flickered with a light of it's own. He nodded to them, "Patrol number 27, Perseus sector, and part of the Fenry kingdom, I... I'm sorry for everything. I have hidden everything from you and given nothing back, but... now I am. Volgen, I asked you to stay behind, even though you wanted to come and... I've spoken to my sister and her advisers and they're willing to clear your sentence." 

"What?" Volgen choked out weakly. She trembled and looked at Drooden and the others before back to Jamison, "A-Are you kidding? If you're joking-"

"As a representative of Fenry, I announce that the debt owed by Volgen Liefde is hereby lifted," He stated, lifting his head. Volgen covered her mouth as she sobbed. Jamison smiled ever so slightly as he looked at Drooden, "Drooden Kaller, you have shown great talent and a willingness to learn. I'm going to take you under my wing so you can learn to be a commander and if you succeed, you can have a chance to present your case to be commander. If you don't, you'll have the option to pursue any profession you'd wish with the crown's full approval. We can also contact your family and inform them of your situation, but if you wish to continue anonymity, we can also secure you a safe future and should they ever come to reclaim you, the crown will do everything in our power to get you back."

Drooden looked like he was about to cry again, but he merely nodded, "T-Thank you, Sir."

He smiled again and turned to Zariath, "Zariath, you have been a faithful commander and soldier of the Alliance for ten long years-"

"With all due respect, I'd like to keep the rest of my sentence until it's properly served, Sir," Zariath stated, looking at the prince. 

Jamison chuckled, "-For ten long years and we'd like to offer to let you to keep your position upon your sentence finishing. We do ask that you take on a few possible successors for when you do decide to leave, but you can keep it." Zariath nodded and relaxed. 

The prince took one more breath, "Rayshal Rocky Hargens... I cannot believe 'Rocky' is your actual middle name... I spoke with some of our alchemists and they made you a phantom replacement limb on my request."

Hargens gasped and she had tears flood her eyes, "Y-You're kidding-"

"If you so choose, you'll be able to walk again and Doc can go back to fixing you up for tripping. But you also recognize the risks of this, correct?" He held up the small vial and Hargens stared.

"It's the most pain the human body will ever go through and I'll never be able to undo it. It will only connect me to the world and anything else can pass through, and it never dims. There's a one in a thousand thousands' chance of rejection, but... It's worth it," She said.

Jamison nodded and pocketed it, "We'll get it handled in the room. And finally, Sanga, Ashivon?" They tensed and he sighed. "You're both getting a home, but there are a few bonus things. Ashivon, we're going to do everything in our power to teach you whatever you'd like to know. Sanga, I was able to fast track the processing of some Divine's trials and well... Turn around." He pointed across the other side of the table and Sanga did quickly. She tensed as her two friends waved.

"Capillus! Samwise!" She scrambled out of the seat and she earned a few chuckles when she fell out of her seat. She managed to right herself and when she got up again, she lunged at them. She nearly tackled them to the ground, but they stayed upright. Samwise smiled as he ruffled her hair.

"Hey, Bloody. So, they really did lie about you, huh? You're not a heretic, huh?" He smiled and hugged her tightly, "My HLS, I'm so happy you're safe."

She rolled her eyes, but hugged him tightly. He wheezed as she squeezed their air out of him. She chuckled, "HBB, I'm happy to know you're safe."

"Y-You're the one who..." Zariath gaped. Samwise stiffened and looked up. He swallowed as he saw the large intseh and nodded. Zariath relaxed and smiled, "Thank you."

Samwise grinned and jabbed his thumb at Capillus, "'Hairy' here updated me on Bloody and... Ashigone?" He looked at Ashivon questioningly.

The man in question shook his head, "Ashivon. You are Samwise?" He cocked his head and Samwise tensed.

He chuckled, "Y-Yeah, that's right?" He took a deep breathe, "But Capillus told me about you and Sanga when you two escaped."

Capillus walked over to Ashivon and lifted a hand, "M-May I?" Ashivon instantly turned around and he purred loudly as Capillus began to comb his fingers through his hair. He chuckled, "Y-You nee-need a haircut a-again..." Ashivon hummed in agreement, relaxing.

Sanga smiled between them, "So, what are your plans now?"

Jamison crossed his arms, "Considering they saved Zariath and actually helped us get further into the city and into the actual Sanctuary, we're debating on making them ambassadors between our kingdoms." 

"Y-Y-You're kidding," Capillus sputtered, but Jamison shook his head.

"Look, we would have lost more people had it not been for you two. And if Sanga trusts you this much as her brothers, then I see no reason, but... perhaps that is a reason to worry," Jamison teased. Sanga rolled her eyes and went to sit back down next to Ashivon. Hands buried in her hair and she relaxed. 

Capillus chuckled, "Y-You haven't c-changed, G-Gary."

Volgen laughed tearfully, "G-Gary? Sanga, what kind of name is that?"

Sanga glowered, "It's a stupid nickname. Right, Carrie?" Capillus chuckled in agreement and he sighed happily. Ashivon gasped happily and he turned to Sanga quickly.

"Kiss?" He asked. Sanga blushed as her two oldest friends froze and stared. She realized it was going to come out sooner or later and nodded sheepishly. Ashivon grinned and kissed her gently on the lips. He purred loudly and cuddled into her side gleefully. She giggled and kissed  his cheek, making him only purr louder.

Samwise cleared his throat, "So? This is a thing?" She glared, but it was Jamison who came to her rescue.

"They're each other's support and quite frankly, I don't want an unstable nun and intseh running around the countryside. Let them be," He stated. Samwise lifted his hands.

"Anything for my Honorary Little Sister."

Sanga stuck her tongue out, "Whatever, Honorary Big Brother."

* * *

The main group joined in the communal room. Samwise and Capillus disappeared after someone came to escort them away, leaving everyone else. Hargens sat on a bed nervously and turned the bottle up over in her hand a few times. Zariath sat next to her and Volgen sat on her other side. Drooden sat behind Volgen, but he had tucked his chin onto her shoulder. Jamison stood before them, "Hargens, I'd really recommend laying down for this."

"I... I know. I just want to enjoy a few moments before I go through the worst pain of my life," She whispered. After another several minutes, she nodded and pushed herself more onto the bed. She turned sideways and the others moved. Zariath and Volgen shared a look before going to the head and foot of the bed. Hargens nodded to them and offered Zariath one of her arms. He gently took it and pressed it down as he loomed over her. Volgen held down Hargens' leg and she nodded.

"Here I go," Hargens whimpered as she uncorked the bottle and downed the mixture quickly. The instant after she swallowed it, she started screaming and thrashing. Zariath grabbed her other arm and Jamison ran for the bottle. He took it and could only watch as Hargens screamed like she was on fire. Ashivon whimpered ans he curled into a ball and Sanga covered his ears, singing loudly to try and block out the screams.

Those who were watching were amazed when they saw Hargens glow. It slowly shifted down and it hovered above the stump and began to trail down. To their fascination, a new, glowing leg began to form, thrashing around as if it had always been there. It took nearly a five minutes before a full leg was formed, but by then, Hargens had screamed her lungs sore and she was silently sobbing. When the pain finally ebbed, she slumped into the bed.

Jamison came and looked her over, "Hargens, it's done. Are you ok?" She looked at him with veiled eyes and nodded weakly, still crying. He offered her a hand. 

"Sir, she's still exhausted-" Volgen protested, but Jamison glared at her.

"Trust me. This needs to register before she can rest," He stated. He took Hargens' hand and pulled her off the bed. She stumbled on weak legs, but... she was upright. Her new, see through leg was glowing brightly as it held her weight onto the ground. Hargens looked down in shock as she shifted her weight to it completely and a shaky grin crossed her face. She looked up at Jamison and cried. She hugged him and Jamison tensed. "Ok, that's unnecessary. I don't want tears on my shirt. Why don't you go bother Zariath or something?" He said. Hargens trembled as she pulled away and turned to Zariath. She carefully walked forward.

One step after another, she eventually made it to him. He grinned as she landed into his arms. They looked up and she laughed without sound. Volgen snickered, "Now kiss!" Hargens got a twinkle in her eye and she leaned up and nuzzled Zariath's cheek gently. He froze and seemed to blush and Volgen laughed. "I-I d-didn't mean literally!" She rolled off the bed and Drooden rolled his eyes.

"Hargens, no kissing Zariath without permission," He scolded jokingly, sitting next to a cackling Volgen. Hargens giggled at them but she froze as she felt something touch her cheek very gently. It lingered and when she turned to look, her lips accidentally brushed Zariath's. They stared in mutual embarrassment and horror, but Hargens giggled and kissed him harder. Zariath pulled away after a moment.

"H-Hargens, I-I'm your commanding-" He started, but he was cut off.

Jamison rolled his eyes, "Zariath, you can still be demoted, you know that, right? You wouldn't be breaking any fraternization laws that way. No skin off your back. If you don't like Hargens, that's reasonable, she's loud, persistent, bad at jokes-"

"She has a beautiful voice, loyal, and no offense, Sir, but you have awful taste in jokes," Zariath defended. Hargens froze and stared and he shrugged. "You've been by my side, Rayshal. If I can still serve, then I see no reason to not follow what makes me happy. Isn't that what you always say?" He watched her closely and she stared in shock. Without a word, she pulled him close again and kissed him deeply. He laughed deep in his chest and Jamison rolled his eyes.

"Nice to know that romantic and sexual tension is finally getting addressed," He joked and Volgen, who had started to calm, burst into laughter again.

The other two, having been able to calm down from the lack of screaming, finally relaxed again. They smiled at the group and Ashivon looked at Sanga again. 

"Kiss?"

Sanga laughed, "Ok, Ashivon."


	27. Escaped

When dinner rolled around, Hargens was feeling well enough to get up and head down herself. Her new leg was... weird to say the least. It walked on the stone without a sound, but anything else just passed through it and Hargens never noticed. Volgen even made a point of throwing a pillow through the purple light, but Hargens neither noticed nor did her leg buckle. Drooden noticed and then picked up his shoe and turned it upside down and a pebble fell into his hand. He showed the others before throwing it. It hit Hargens' leg, making her yelp and turn around. She narrowed her eyes and looked at the curious four. 

"Which one of you two threw it?" She grumbled. Even though everyone knew she was joking, Volgen and Drooden still sputtered. Hargens also noticed the pillow on the floor near her leg and got up. "You both were in on it, weren't you?" Zariath smiled as she got up and stomped over. She started chewing their ears off and the rest of the group relaxed. The door opened and Jamison stuck his head in.

"Snails, come on," He huffed. "The Southern Desert will be frozen before you all make it to dinner."

Volgen snorted, "Jamison, you know as well as I do that the Southern Desert freezes for two minutes every night."

Sanga blinked, "Wait what?"

Drooden sighed, "There's an animal or something, but it's only in a small section of the desert. That, and Volgen's exaggerating." He pulled his friend up and grabbed the intseh out the door. Hargens relaxed and looked at Sanga and Ashivon.

"I hate to say it, but Jamison's right. We do have to get to dinner," She mused. She danced over to Zariath and her foot phased through the pillow again. Everyone else stared and sighed.

Zariath shook his head, "That's going to take some getting used to." Hargens giggled and kicked him with her leg or, rather, tried to. Her phantom leg phased through his as well and she wobbled. Zariath rolled his eyes and grabbed onto her and steadied her. She glowed and started to race off. Zariath let himself be dragged off as Hargens _ran_ ahead. 

Sanga and Ashivon were the last to get up, but Jamison stopped them. He closed the door after the rest of the group left and he sighed. "I... I left out one more thing, when I was announcing things. Sanga, Ashivon, I have one more thing I need to talk to you about." Sanga and Ashivon shared a look and sat down again. Jamison swallowed and went to sit on the bed across from them. "Sanga, you know Ashivon knows nothing of sex."

She tensed and nodded, "Yeah. We... We never really spoke about that and it would open the door about consent and pregnancy and-"

Jamison held up his hand, "I know, Sanga. I wanted to address if now." He stared Sanga down, "I know this is a difficult conversation to have, but Sanga, Ashivon, you two need to have it. You might not know it, but Intseh go through a period of heightened fertility and hormones, but they respond to it strongly. With Intseh who have relationships with human women who don't use any kind of pill, they enter a state like that more often. Sanga, I know you missed your last one, but this will come up."

Sanga blinked, "Wait, are you saying that they have, like, what, a mating season or something?" She frowned, "And how do you know-"

"I'm the Prince, Sanga. It's my job to know things. Back onto the topic... It's something similar to a mating season, but that means they also get extreme impulses," He explained. Sanga froze and she shrunk to a point Ashivon looked between her and Jamison with confusion and rage. He had _never_ seen Sanga have such a reaction to something like _this_. He swallowed and wrapped an arm around Sanga, but she only trembled.

She looked up, steeling her nerves, "You're talking to us because we have options. What are they?" Her eyes bore into his and the Prince nodded.

"We have two options. Wordsmiths' song, which is a practice for when someone needs to learn something more deeply, but it's extremely personal. It's basically several wordsmiths sharing many of their memories, but it does have its risks: The person listening usually doesn't come out the same. They have hundreds of memories of other people, so their personality changes accordingly. We have several trusted wordsmiths, but I'm also concerned that if Ashivon goes in, we don't know what his reaction would be. We'd be flooding his mind."

Sanga looked at Ashivon in worry and knew that she loved him for him, not the echoes of other people's memories. "And the second option?"

"We have an elixir that... makes the drinker infertile. You wouldn't get any more periods and you wouldn't get any hormones that would trigger Ashivon's, but..." He trailed and Sanga curled a hand over her lower stomach.

"I wouldn't be able to have children," She whispered. She paused and shook her head, "I don't think children would be wise for us anyway. But still, the thought is just..."

Jamison nodded, "I understand. This is why I'm talking to you first."

"Thank you," Sanga said. She swallowed, "Would we still be able to-"

"Yes, you could still have sex," He responded with a roll of his eyes. "But there is no undoing this once it's done. I need you to understand that."

She nodded and looked up to Ashivon, "No baby of our own?"

Ashivon thought and nodded. He didn't really understand what it meant, but he knew that there wouldn't be a small, screaming infant in their home. "No baby," He agreed.

Sanga nodded and she looked back at Jamison, "I am willing to never have children."

He nodded, "Understood." He pulled out a small vial and Sanga swallowed. "Drink this, and you'll never even notice." She nodded and took it carefully. It was a blue liquid and she popped the cork off and drank it down. Her stomach grumbled in protest, but otherwise, it was no different than drinking water. It didn't even have a taste. Sanga closed her eyes as she knew that there was never going back. She had never planned on having children, not in the Church and she had never even thought of having one or a few outside, but... The option was still  _there_. But now she'd never have to worry about children, or even periods, ever again. Ashivon wouldn't have to go through... whatever it was, so that was something.

* * *

Sanga and Ashivon looked around in fascination at the wooden building that would be home for the rest of their lives. Jamison was leading them on the tour and he made sure Sanga and Ashivon knew where everything was. There were two bedrooms, a single bathroom, a living room, a kitchen and dining room, and a cleaning room. Sanga ran through the supplies in the cleaning room, trying to make sure she had what she knew what to use. She was pleased to find her laundry soap, regular soap, and several other products and things to do laundry.

He then took them outside and showed them, well, everything else. They were situated on the top of a valley and everything was in full bloom. Jamison had insisted that they wait in the castle until winter had passed. Now? Ashivon let out a tiny sneeze as wind billlowed around the valley. Sanga smiled as she caught a familiar whiff of animals. She looked and saw several goats, a few pigs, two sheep, and a small handful of chickens. She wandered over to the gated area and knelt in front of a chicken. Her hand glided over its feathered back and she smiled.

Ashivon smiled when he saw her. He turned to Jamison, "Thank you, for everything." Jamison nodded and looked over the valley.

"We might come to visit, but otherwise, you two are at peace out here. This valley doesn't have many predators you and Sanga can't fend off, if any, and you'll be away from any triggers," Jamison explained. "Maybe other than boredom-" He was cut off as a pig squealed and Sanga tried to leap onto its back. "I take that back. There's never a dull moment around you two, huh?" Ashivon chuckled, but Jamison's next words caught him offguard. They settled deep into his soul, further than he thought they would.

"You're safe, Ashivon. You're free. You've finally..."

"Escaped."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm calling this one done. If anyone still wants to see anything, let me know. Unlike the revamped (and sorry, but favorite) version, this one has an open ending. We don't know if Volgen adopts Drooden in this one. We don't know if Zariath is welcomed back home. We don't know if Hargens gets help for her mental problems. We don't know if Gabrielle and Jamison manage to keep their mother off the throne. We don't know if they do live happily ever after, but we don't know if they live in a bad ending.
> 
> I know this one ended aburptly, but... what else was there, really? If I missed anything, I will gladly be able to make another chapter if it's that big of a thing. If not, I can write a small Thing(tm) for you.
> 
> Anyway, it's been nice running with you lot!


End file.
